


Fight Club

by Sunshinecowger



Category: The 100, kabby - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attraction, Breaking the Law, Broken Heart, Child Abuse, Derek Shepherd (third wheel character), Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grey's Anatomy Crossover, Hard memories, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Making Up, Minor Character Death, Pain, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Promises, Romance, Secrets, Sexual Tension, Smut, Unplanned Pregnancy, Violence, overcoming, unprotected sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-04
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-02-28 09:41:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 42,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13268796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunshinecowger/pseuds/Sunshinecowger
Summary: Intern Abigail Griffin is fresh out of medical school and busy at the hospital with very little free time. That is until Callie comes forward with a little secret. However, it becomes clear very quickly that there are rules to fight club and that is that you don't talk about fight club. The old Victorian house hides the club in the basement. Abby watches and listens and Jake speaks out the commands. Then a man steps in the ring with only a faded pair of jeans on and Abby finds she can't take her eyes off of Marcus Kane, the fighter with the mesmerizing eyes and sexy smirk.





	1. Chapter 1

“Abby! I’ve been looking for you. Why haven’t you answered your phone?”   
Callie stood with her hand on her hip as she stared at her best friend who was wrapping a towel around her as she headed from the shower and into the locker room.   
“I got to be in on a surgery today, Callie. It was amazing. I got to hold the spreaders, so I was indisposed.”   
“Get dressed, we have to get somewhere.”   
Abby looked behind her and up at the clock on the wall before looking back at her friend.   
“It’s two in the morning, where in the world do we have to go?”   
“Just trust me. Come on. Jake is waiting for me.”   
“I don’t want to be a third wheel on your date, Cal.”   
“It’s not a date. Come on.” 

Twenty minutes later, Callie turned the wheel of her old Mustang on to a dirt road.   
“What are we doing in the middle of nowhere?”   
“Abby, Jake is part of something that you can’t tell anyone about. If you are willing to help, you can make quite a bit of money. Listen, don’t start with a million and one questions, just listen to me. I’ve been helping Jake but, with all the hours at the hospital, I can’t keep up.”   
Callie cast her eyes on to Abby who was staring at her unamused. Slowly, Abby crossed her arms.   
“Ok, you have that look, Abs….Just hear me out. You can’t tell anyone about this. You are about to see something that is going to blow your mind. It’s not completely illegal…..”   
“How is something not completely illegal, it either is or it isn’t.”   
In response Callie let out a frustrated sigh.   
“Look, I have already said too much. I brought you in because I know that you can be trusted and I know that even if you decide not to be part of this, I know that you aren’t going to say anything. Please, Abby, I need you to be cool.”   
With that, Callie pulled to a stop in the midst of about thirty other cars. There was an old Victorian style house, it didn’t appear that anyone was in it. Only the front porch light was on, Callie walked up the steps as if she had walked up the same steps hundreds of times.   
“Is this where you have been when you aren’t at the hospital?”   
Callie stopped with her hand on the front door handle as she turned back to look at her friend.   
“Yes, this is where I have been. Please, just be cool, Abby.”   
“You say it as if I am not cool.”   
“You are so cool and that is why I am trusting you with this. Now, come on.”   
Abby followed Callie into the house, through the front room, into the kitchen and to a door that led them down a steep stairway. Abby momentarily froze when she heard yells.   
“Don’t worry, come on.”   
Callie seemed so calm and even though everything inside Abby told her not to continue, she swallowed hard and walked down the steep steps despite her nerves. There was easily forty men in a circle, two men in the middle of it, and they were slugging one another.   
Abby froze momentarily at the bottom of the steps as she covered her mouth.   
“Callie!”   
Her friend turned around quickly and rushed back to Abby.   
“Just hear him out.”   
“Who?”   
“The creator of this thing. Just come on.”   
Abby felt her friend tug her arm, so reluctantly she moved forward with Callie. 

Suddenly, the two men stopped fighting and a blond haired, blue eyed, well built man stepped into the circle and spoke loudly.   
“Gentleman, welcome to fight club. The first rule of fight club is that you don’t talk about fight club. The second rule of fight club is THAT. YOU. DO. NOT. TALK. ABOUT. FIGHT. CLUB. The third rule of fight club is if someone yells stop, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. The fourth rule, only two guys to a fight. The fifth rule, only one fight at a time, the sixth rule, no shirt, no shoes. The seventh rule, fights will go on as long as they have to. The eighth and final rule, if this is your first night of fight club, you have to fight.”   
“That’s Jake.” Callie leaned in and whispered it to Abby.   
“I can see why you like him.”   
Callie shrugged as her eyes dragged over the man. Abby’s eyes had moved to the man who stepped into the ring. He only wore faded blue jeans, and he looked as if hours of his time had already been spent inside the circle. His bottom lip was swollen and split and his eye lid looked as if knuckles had spent a lot of time pounding the sensitive area.   
“And that is Jake’s best friend, a one Marcus Kane.”   
Abby had never felt her eyes so glued to one individual before. He was fast as his bare feet moved around the cement floor. He dodged punches effortlessly, his back muscles flexing and unflexing as he punched and made contact. His dark hair was wet with sweat, with one curl hanging down over his forehead. The man he was fighting seemed to be losing his ground and Abby couldn’t help but smile when she saw a smirk move across the face of Marcus Kane. Something about that smile along with the dark look in his eye seem to stir something inside of her. She watched as another punch was thrown as Marcus’s opponent went down.   
Just when Abby thought the fight would be over, she watched as Marcus stood over the other man and grabbed him by the hair, lifted his head up and off the ground and punched him with his free hand. He did that same move again and again until finally the other man, with blood spewing out of his mouth, yelled “Stop!”   
Marcus immediately backed up while the other men in the crowd cheered for the man that Abby could not take her eyes off of. There was something about him. He came walking through the crowd of people, Jake beside him. Both men froze momentarily as they stared at Abby. Callie quickly interjected.   
“This is my friend that I told you about. This is Abby.”   
Jake walked forward and looked Abby over before speaking.   
“Did you hear the rule of fight club?” Jake said it as he kept his eyes on her.   
She looked up at Jake before her eyes moved over to Marcus who was suddenly holding a beer to his lips as his eyes stayed on hers.   
“Yes, I heard the rules. I hope you don’t think I’m going to fight anyone.”   
Jake laughed, he looked from Abby back to Marcus and then back at Abby.   
“We got a live one here, Kane. Do you know why you are here, Abby?”   
She looked back at Jake and tried to ignore the intimidating feeling these men gave her.   
“I have no idea why I am here.”   
As if he refused to be ignored, Marcus walked up and did nothing to hide that his eyes were moving over Abby.   
“You’re here because we would like to offer you a position.”   
She was almost shocked to finally hear the man speak, Abby was even more shocked to hear that his voice was deep and soothing. Her eyes moved back over to him.   
“Doing what exactly?” She said it with a laugh  
Marcus leaned forward and reached for his shirt that was directly behind her on the table. He spoke low as he grabbed his shirt.   
“Don’t worry, with your job you can keep your shirt on.”   
She turned and looked at him quickly, he was so close that she could smell his cologne. If she moved even a little bit, she would be touching him. His eyes stared at her mouth before he leaned back to his full height and pulled on his shirt with a slight grimace, she wondered if she had missed him getting hurt in the fight.   
Disappointing she thought, his chest and back were more than just a little magnificent. However, the   
Faded red t-shirt looked good on him too.   
“Let’s walk upstairs, Abby. I will tell you what you would be doing and you can tell me if you want to except.”   
“And I’ll keep Callie with me for a few minutes.”   
Jake said it as he wrapped his strong arms around Callie. Abby followed Marcus up the steps.   
“Do you want a beer, Abby?”   
He said it as he set his own beer on the kitchen table, Marcus was looking back at her as he moved to the refrigerator.   
“No, I’m good. Thank you.”   
“Do you want something to eat?”   
She shook her head.   
“No, thank you.”   
“Well, I have to eat.”   
He reached into the fridge and pulled out sandwich tray, he pulled one from it and wrapped it in a paper towel. Abby wasn’t sure why she was shocked to see him take the time to loudly click the tray shut and put it back in the fridge. Perhaps, she had become so used to the interns at the hospital who would leave food sitting around the tables in the nurses’ lounge, cups of coffee that had long since gone cold. It was almost refreshing to see a man do something considerate.   
“Who lives here?”   
He smiled before taking a bite of sandwich, he took the time to chew slowly before answering her.   
“This is my house.”   
Her eyes snapped up to his.   
“You own this house?”   
He arched his eyebrows at her before answering.   
“Yes, Abby. I have a job and I am capable of owning a house.”   
“I meant no offense.”   
He said nothing as he took another bite of his sandwich. He leaned back against the kitchen counter as he popped the last of the sandwich in his mouth and then moved to the table and took a seat as he downed the last of his beer.   
“So, let’s get to what you would be doing if you choose to agree to it.”   
He rubbed his hands together before he rubbed them on the thighs of his jeans. Abby couldn’t help but stare at each of his movements, something about the man was mesmerizing.   
“Callie is our nurse, she takes care of all the cuts and bruises and dictates when something is a bigger deal and they need to head to the emergency room. The thing is that Callie is busy between the hospital and Jake. According to her, she thinks we need a second person. We left her to choose someone that she trusts that will keep the fight club quiet. We will pay you. Three hundred a week for being here at least three nights a week to help with fight club.” With that he stopped talking and kept his eyes on her.   
“You want to give me a hundred dollars a night to work for you?”   
He smiled and shrugged “We would be paying you for your discretion, Abby.”   
She shook her head as if she couldn’t quite believe the offer.   
“And I would get to pick the nights?”   
“Yes, you get to pick the nights.”   
“And I would just be taking care of cuts and scratches?”   
“Stitches, broken ribs, sprains and things along those lines as well.”   
“When would I start?”   
“Right now.”   
“So, you’ll let me start by checking your ribs?”   
He smiled across the table at her.   
“See? You are good, doc. My ribs have been hurting for days.”   
“Why haven’t you had Callie check them?”   
“Callie is with Jake and it feels odd having my best mate’s girl touching me.”   
Abby found herself smiling.   
“What is so funny, Abby?”   
“It is just sweet that you feel that way. Can you take off your shirt please?”   
He let out a huff.   
“Abby! We even had a proper date yet.” He grinned up at her as she stood up.   
“Very cute…..”   
“So, you like me then? Good to know.”   
“I meant the joke was cute.”   
“So, you don’t like me at all? That’s disappointing.”   
“Take off your shirt.”   
“So, you do like me?”   
Abby laughed as Marcus pulled off his shirt with a slight grimace.   
“Stand up, Marcus.”   
He stood, she pushed him lightly so that he would lean back against the counter once more. Abby pressed lightly with both hands against Marcus’s ribs. She heard his intakes of breath as the pain moved through him.   
“Your ribs have been like this for a week?”   
He nodded without looking at her.   
“I don’t have anything to wrap you with, Marcus. Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared for this.”   
“We have something. Come on.”   
Marcus walked her to a room adjacent from the living room. Inside was a fluorescent light that flickered to life. In the middle of the room was a medical gurney. There was a counter that contained medical items. There was a sink in the corner with the proper foot on and off switch’s.   
“I must say, Marcus, you have thought of everything.”   
“We wanted to take care of as much here as possible.”   
“Well, have a seat and I will get started.”   
She went to the sink and washed her hands and then pulled an ace bandage out of the drawer.   
“You are going to want to take Tylenol for the pain. Unfortunately, the ace bandage won’t hep you to heal faster, however, it will make you handle the pain a little better. She stepped between his legs with the ace bandage in her hands. Marcus found himself staring down at her as she began to set the bandage where she wanted it. One hand was on his ribs as she moved her arm around his back. He could smell her perfume and shampoo, she smelled of coconut and lavender.   
“You smell good, Abby.”   
She felt a blush creep over her cheeks.   
“Thank you.”   
“Do you always get nervous when someone gives you a compliment?”   
“No.”   
She answered far too quickly and Marcus laughed.   
“Are you sure about that?”   
“Marcus, I can’t work for you if you are going to harass me.” Yet, she said it with a smile.   
“Well, in that case, I suppose kissing you is completely off the table?”   
She shook her head and looked at him, her eyes flickered to his lips momentarily which was something that was not missed by him. He felt disappointed when her eyes moved back up to his.   
“Maybe for your birthday, Marcus.”   
That same smirk he had early crossed his lips.   
“And I always thought it was the boss that had to hand out the bonuses.”   
She couldn’t seem to help it as she laughed. He liked the way her nose crinkled up as the noise escaped her.   
“You are right, Mr. Kane, that is the way it is supposed to work.”   
“If you ever need that bonus, you know where to find me.”   
He said it as his hand moved from where it had been sitting on the gurney and landed on her hip, she felt the heat radiate through her immediately.   
“Abby!”   
Marcus moved his hand at the sound of Callie’s voice. Their eyes shot to the door that Marcus had left sitting open. She smiled as she strolled through the door with Jake hot on her heels.   
“I’m glad you are finally letting someone look at those ribs.”   
Jake sounded sincere as he wrapped his arms around Callie.   
“He wouldn’t let me check him out.”   
Abby looked back at Marcus and smiled, he gave her a look that clearly asked her not to say anything to Callie. She squeezed his knee where Callie and Jake couldn’t see her do it. It was Abby’s way of telling him that his secret of feeling awkward was safe with her. Abby stepped away from Marcus and wondered if he was missing the connection with her as much as she was missing it with him.   
“You feeling any better, buddy?”   
Marcus nodded, one hand on his ribs as he slipped off the gurney.   
“Yes, Abby has magic hands.”   
Callie arched an eyebrow at her friend which Abby quickly ignored.   
“So, Abby, you are in?”   
She turned to look at Jake and nodded.   
“Yes.”   
“And you know that you can’t…..”   
“Talk about fight club? I got it. I won’t.”   
He nodded.   
“Good, we are glad you are in. Callie says great things about you.”   
Abby smiled at her friend. “Well, I think she is pretty wonderful too. And no matter what kind of fighter you think you are, Jake. If you hurt my friend, I know how to kill you and make it look like suicide.”   
He smiled and kissed Callie’s cheek before looking back at Abby.   
“I would never even dream of hurting this woman who is my everything.”   
Abby couldn’t help but smile as she witnessed Callie look back at Jake and lean in to kiss him.   
“I told you guys that you would like Abby. She is amazing.”   
“I could have told you that.”   
Marcus said it as he looked over at the woman beside him. Once again, she blushed at his attention.   
“Well, we have to get back down there, Marcus.”   
Jake reluctantly let go of Callie as Marcus followed him out of the room.   
Callie and Abby stayed in the little room.   
“What do you think of Marcus?”   
“I’m not sure that I have ever been turned on by anything more in my life.”   
Callie laughed as she put one arm around her friend and hugged her.   
“Well, I think that is incredible. Honestly, you haven’t had any fun in quite a while.”  
“I have fun.”   
“Drawing blood is not fun, Abby. We are in our twenties and we should be having all kinds of fun. I think with that man who looks at you like he is starving and you are a meal of steak and potatoes would give you a whole lot of fun.”   
“I don’t know that I could just do the fun thing.”   
“How do you know unless you try?” 

To be continued………………


	2. Chapter 2

Abby slept late on Tuesday, it was a rare day off and the truth was that she needed the rest. She hadn’t even bothered to shower when she came home late the night before from the hospital. In the other room she could hear Callie and Jake. Abby covered her head with her pillow and drifted in and out of sleep.   
When she finally decided that it was worth taking a shower, she looked over at the clock. Ten forty – seven flashed across the screen. Slowly she sat up and looked around her room, it needed a clean as much as she did. Abby gathered clothes that needed to be washed and got the laundry ready, she would handle it after her incredibly nice, hot, soothing shower.   
The last few weeks had consisted of interning, monitoring the patients at fight club, watching Marcus and the way he moved and in between all that, she was trying to get some sleep. Only it wasn’t coming easy, not when Marcus filled so many of her conscious thoughts and then there was the dreams she had about him. It was driving her absolutely mad.   
In the dream he would be standing before her in nothing more than a pair of ripped, faded jeans. His chest would be heaving before he reached out, grabbed her by the front of her jeans and hauled her towards him, his mouth would crash into hers. He would whisper things to her that she had never even fantasized about, Abby would wake up hot and bothered and nothing she did could curb the ache that she had for Marcus Kane.   
Abby showered, shaved all the important parts and washed her hair. Normally, her showers consisted of no more than five minutes, it seemed as if she always had to be somewhere. Today, she let the hot water move over her body, she welcomed the comfort of it. Desperately, she tried not to think of  
the man who she would be seeing later that night. 

“Marcus, good morning. Nice of you to show up to work without cuts and bruises.”   
In response, Marcus smirked before heading to his window. Tuesday’s were normally slow at the bank and for that he was grateful. Today, he was tired. What he wouldn’t have given to lay in bed and let the exhaustion over take him.   
He blamed Abby. He couldn’t concentrate with her around all the time. Tonight, he would talk to Jake and see about letting her go. That would make everything a lot more convenient. His ribs were healing nicely and because of her insistence, he hadn’t fought at all since last week when he got kicked in the ribs and lost his breath. Of course, Abby had been right there and had fought tooth and nail with Marcus and the tiny woman wouldn’t let up until he agreed to lay off for one week. Tonight, was the night that he got to fight again and he was looking forward to it. Only, he would need to sleep beforehand.   
Marcus counted out the money in his drawer, he counted twice, he always wanted to be sure that he was correct.   
Marcus knew that he should be grateful for this job, he knew it down to his very core. However, in all honesty, it was only a means to an end. It provided much needed money to keep his hobby afloat. That hobby needed to stay afloat, it helped to feel like he had something that nothing else in life had been able to give him. 

Marcus: I think we should get rid of Abby. 

Jake: Why? 

Marcus: She isn’t working out.

Jake: ????

Marcus: Why do you need reasons for everything?   
Jake: Because it is Callie’s best friend. She is going to want answers and I am going to have to provide them. Is this because you have a hard on for Abby?

Marcus: No, I don’t.

Jake: Dude, you guys just need to be locked in a room together for a few minutes. Funny, you can go in a ring with men while you have busted ribs but, that tall midget is really doing a number on you. I don’t think we should get rid of her. You be the one to tell Callie, if you can pass her, then I will agree that you can get rid of Abby. Deal?

Marcus: I knew I should never have let you in on the plan for this hobby. 

Marcus put his phone back in his pocket after lunch and headed back out to the window. 

 

The rain had begun in a heavy down pour as Marcus was headed home, he drove his Jeep through the dirt road which more or less the mud road by the time he got to it. The great thing about it being his house was that he always got the spot closest to the house, it also had a small sidewalk leading to the house which kept his slacks and shoes free from mud. He had his jacket draped on his forefinger and over his shoulder as he stepped inside.   
It wasn’t a shock that Jake would be there or that Callie would be sitting on her lover’s lap. What shocked him was to see Abby leaning back against the kitchen counter. Her eyes stared at him the way they always did when she first saw him. It drove him absolutely crazy, as if she was judging his existence. 

Abby on the other hand stared at the man who came in through the front door. His button up dress shirt was soaked, so wet in fact that she could see the hardness of his chest beneath the shirt. His hair was dripping as his eyes dark and intense stayed glued to hers. Marcus dropped his jacket on one of the free kitchen chairs as he kept his eyes on the woman that he was determined to hate. She watched as if it was virtually impossible to tear her eyes away from him. His hands moved up to his tie as he hastily loosened it and then pulled it over his head and dropped it with his jacket.   
There was no choice for Abby except to lick her lips and swallow hard as he let his fingers move across the buttons as he unfastened them in the same manner as he had the tie. Why was he still watching her? The truth was that neither of them quite knew the answer to that and yet her eyes followed his fingers easily as his eyes watched hers. When he grabbed both sides of his shirt and pulled, Abby almost gasped as she literally heard the material being pulled from his wet body.   
When he walked past her, he still kept his eyes on her as he moved so close that she felt the rain water move off of him and on to her. Her eyes that had been on the movements of the muscles in his arm moved instead up to his eyes. Marcus’s intense eyes were on hers as he moved past her and into the laundry room.   
“I thought we talked about this, Jake.”   
“And I told you what you would have to do, Marcus.”   
Callie and Abby looked at each other, both wondering what was taking place between the men. As always it was Abby who spoke up.   
“Do we need to know what is going on?”   
Marcus stepped back out from the laundry room, this time in dark blue jeans that he hadn’t bothered to button, a green t-shirt in his hand that Abby wished that he wouldn’t actually put on. Yet, when he came out, his eyes were back on her.   
“I don’t think you are working out, Abby.”   
It felt as if he literally could have slapped her and it would have been less shocking. He watched as her mouth fell open and then found himself impressed when she quickly recovered.   
“You don’t think I am working out? Me? At the top of my class at the hospital, and you find that I am not the fight club material? Well, you know what, Marcus Kane?”   
With that she began walking toward him, Marcus was not a man who was willing to be outdone and especially by her with her know - it - all look. Instead he put his hands on his hips, the shirt that never got put on, dangling between his fingers as she closed the distance.   
“What, Abby? Wait, wait, I forgot, you won’t wait for an answer, you will just give it.”   
She gave a slight shake of her head.   
“I could use the sleep, Marcus. I could go home and rest.”   
He let out a snide little laugh as he walked towards her.   
“Well, go one home then, Abby. Here is the thing, we both know that you resting is all you will be doing.”   
He was arching an eyebrow as he moved his body into her space, causing her to back up.   
“Just what the hell does that mean?”   
“Tell me, Abby, when was the last time you had your legs wrapped around anything?”   
Her back hit the counter, shocking her and causing her to let out a little gasp, both from hitting the counter and from his question. She looked to Callie and was shocked to find that her and Jake had disappeared.   
“How is that any of your business?”   
They both stayed silent for several seconds and then Marcus let his eyes drag down to her breasts and then back up again.   
“I think you want it to be my business, Abby. I think I could take you right here and I think you will be a little disappointed when I don’t.”   
She let out a laugh that neither of them believed.   
“I don’t think about you in anyway, Marcus!”   
Abby wanted to slap him when he smirked. Then he grabbed the counter behind her with both hands as the t-shirt slipped from his grip. He bent at the waist until he was eye level with the woman before him. He was so close that if he were to lean just a bit further, his lips would have been on hers.   
“Is that a fact, Abby?”   
“Yes, that is a fact.” Yet, her voice was shaking as she said it.   
“I think that I could kiss you right here and I think you wouldn’t be satisfied until I let you taste my tongue. You can stand there and deny it, but we both know it is true.”   
“Oh please, Marcus. You are the one always running around her half clothed and suddenly you decide that I am just not working out. Well, I call big fat bullshit. I think it is you, Marcus, that wouldn’t be satisfied until it was you between my legs which you never will have the honor of knowing, you, smug jackass!”   
Yet, neither of them moved. They stood their staring at one another. Their eyes brimming with anger and something else that neither seemed content on admitting.   
Abby felt chills run over her when she saw his chest heaving as his eyes moved down her face and landed on her lips. Damn it! She wanted him to kiss her. Abby wanted to hate him and instead she did want to taste him, to feel his wet chest against her chest where her nipples were already hard and aching to be touched. The worst part was that she was sure that Marcus knew that intimate detail about her.   
Instead of moving away from her, Marcus stood to his full height and then bent his knees, forcing their chests to touch. Now, it was him that felt her chest moving against his. Marcus reached up and ran both hands through his hair, effectively knocking some of the droplets off. Abby’s eyes followed the rain drops move over his hard chest. Marcus didn’t miss the way her eyes ran over his body.   
He reached out with both hands and grabbed the lapel of her shirt, she gasped and yet didn’t do anything to ward him off. Instead her hands moved out and landed on his sides and that was when he leaned in, so close that his mouth was dangerously close to hers.   
Abby wanted to taste his lips, to let her tongue run over that scar on his bottom lip, to kiss him with so much passion that he would have no choice but to shut the hell up. Then he pulled her lightly and their lips crashed upon each other’s. His hands moved to the sides of her neck as he kissed her slowly and hungrily, there was no choice except for Abby to moan he seemed to be tasting her in a way that she had never been tasted before. The kiss was the sexiest most passionate kiss that she had ever had and truth be told, she never wanted it to end. Still though, he didn’t slip his tongue into her mouth, no, he let his mouth run over hers before he finally pulled her bottom lip through his. The moan that shot through Abby was intense and made her feel on fire.   
When he finally kissed her with his tongue moving into her mouth, Abby felt herself grow so hot that she splayed her hands across his back as if that alone could keep her standing up straight. His hands moved into her hair as he pressed his middle against hers, it had been so long since she had been with a man, that the hardness of him made her gasp with pleasure.   
“Oh! I’m sorry!”   
Marcus stepped back from her when Callie came into the kitchen. Abby was staring at Marcus who bent down and picked up his shirt and pulled it over himself and then he walked out of the kitchen without another word. Abby was stunned, should she follow him? Leave? Never come back? She hadn’t any idea what she should do, all she knew was that she wanted him back, she wanted that kiss back, wanted the feel of him against her again.   
“Abby? You alright?”   
One of her hands moved up to her kiss swollen lips as she shook her head.   
“I don’t know. One minute he was yelling at me and the next he was kissing me and then he left the room altogether. I have no idea what to think right now.”   
The front door opened and one of the members of fight club walked in. He said hello to the women before he headed down to the basement. Over the course of the next fifteen minutes, twelve more members showed up while Abby seemed to still be frozen in place. When they heard Marcus’s voice, they didn’t say a word as he was talking to one of the members.   
“Tonight, I am fighting and I need to fight right now. Let’s go.”   
He walked through the kitchen and into the basement without so much as looking at Abby. Callie crossed the kitchen and stood with her friend.   
“Listen, we have a job to do since this is their first fight day back. We have to get down there.”   
“I think I was fired.”   
“Did Marcus actually say that?”   
“Well, he alluded to it.”   
“But, he didn’t say the words that you were fired. Come on, let’s get down there. We have so very few nights that we work together.”   
Abby and Callie walked down the steep steps that led to the basement as Marcus stood in the center and once again went over the rules. Jake kissed Callie before he pulled off his own shirt and waited to fight.   
“So, tonight, I get first fight. As you know, I got my ribs busted.”   
With that everyone looked over at the young fighter who had caused Marcus’s bruised ribs and cheered for him. Marcus laughed which was something Abby hadn’t been exactly sure that he could do. Abby sucked in her breath as his eyes landed on hers before he spoke slowly.   
“So, tonight, I intend to blow off some steam, be aware of that before you step in the ring with me.”   
Abby didn’t back down and in fact stared right back at him. He pulled his eyes away as Jasper stepped into the ring.   
Jake stepped in and made Jasper and Marcus tap knuckles. Abby watched Marcus’s every move. Callie leaned in as Marcus dodged a punch and whispered to her best friend.   
“That kiss looked extremely intense, I say you find out just how intense he could be.”   
Abby shook her head and yet, she should have known that Callie wasn’t going to let it go.   
“Just why not, Abby?”   
Abby looked over at her friend slowly before she looked back out at Marcus who hit Jasper square in the jaw.   
“He would completely destroy me.”   
Callie stared at her friend while her friend had eyes only for one man. It was in that moment that Marcus took two kicks, one to the groin and one to the ribs. It took everything in Abby not to sprint forward and make sure he was alright. Marcus was doubled over, his face red as he tried to catch his breath as the pain slowly made its way to an area that was only supposed to be treated nicely. Callie reached out and grabbed her friend’s arm, effectively holding her in place.   
Then Marcus shocked everyone by standing up and running head first into Jasper, knocking the younger man back and off of his feet. Marcus punched and kicked, the sound of cracking filled the room. Jake jumped in and pulled his friend off of Jasper who rolled on to his side.   
“I’ll help Jasper, you check Marcus.”   
Callie took off before Abby could argue. Marcus came through the crowd and came face to face with Abby.   
“Come on.”   
“I’m fine and I thought you didn’t work here anymore.”   
She turned back to face him.   
“You can hate me all you want, but, as of now, I am still here until Jake tells me otherwise and with you there as a witness. When you fire someone, it has to by law, be with two people. You didn’t technically have a witness.”   
“Jake and Callie were there.”   
Abby laughed.   
“You mean that was a professional meeting when she was sitting on his lap and you with no shirt on? Now, get upstairs.”   
He almost shocked her when he let out a small laugh and then walked up the stairway. Abby followed behind, she could hear Jasper moaning and groaning as he too started walking to a place where he could sit down to be looked at.   
When Abby made her way into the room, Marcus was sitting on the table, much like the first night that she had met him. She didn’t waste time to ask any questions, Abby knew she would only be greeted with a snappy retort.   
Abby was a smart woman and she knew his eyes were on hers as she stepped between his legs and felt his ribs with her hands. He gritted his teeth and only then did she finally look at him.   
“Does it hurt the same or worse than the last time you got kicked?”   
“About the same.”   
“Lay down, Marcus.”   
She noticed the strained look on his face as he laid down.   
“Marcus, tell me what hurts.”   
“I hurt my shoulder.”   
“When?”   
“I’m not sure exactly, it just hurts.”   
Abby stood at the head of the table and felt his neck and shoulders.   
“You are tight. I think just a couple days rest and a massage would help.”   
She didn’t wait for a response as she massaged the tissue for a couple of minutes.   
“How is that? Does that help at all?”   
“Yes, but, Abby?”   
“Hmmm?”   
“I got kicked in other places.”   
She stared down at him as he stared up at her.   
“Well, you would probably be better with a male doctor for that.”   
He gave her a small smile as he shook his head slowly.   
“I don’t want a male doctor.”   
“I thought I was fired.”   
She moved away from him and moved over to the small medical counter, placing her back to him. Abby was grabbing a new ace bandage when she felt his hands on her hips.   
“You are supposed to be sitting on the table.”   
“And you aren’t supposed to be here anymore and yet, here we are.”   
“Marcus, what are you doing?” Her words came out breathless.   
“I only have a question.” He whispered it into her hair.   
“What?”   
“Did you like the way my tongue tasted as much as I liked the taste of yours?”   
As much as she tried not to be turned on by him, she couldn’t help it as a moan escaped her lips.   
“Marcus……”   
He grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him, once again, she was pushed up against a counter. This time he cupped her beneath her chin with his palm so that his fingers were splayed across the right side of her cheek as his thumb held onto the left side.   
When he kissed her, she melted into him. Desperately, she tried not to hang on to his every move, knowing that this man had the ability to completely destroy her. Yet, she held on to his waist as if she didn’t want to breathe unless he was on the other side of that breath. 

 

To be continued………


	3. Chapter 3

“I only have a question.” He whispered it into her hair.   
“What?”   
“Did you like the way my tongue tasted as much as I liked the taste of yours?”   
As much as she tried not to be turned on by him, she couldn’t help it as a moan escaped her lips.   
“Marcus……”   
He grabbed her arm and turned her around to face him, once again, she was pushed up against a counter. This time he cupped her beneath her chin with his palm so that his fingers were splayed across the right side of her cheek as his thumb held onto the left side.   
When he kissed her, she melted into him. Desperately, she tried not to hang on to his every move, knowing that this man had the ability to completely destroy her. Yet, she held on to his waist as if she didn’t want to breathe unless he was on the other side of that breath.

The kiss had ended minutes later, it had turned heated and hungry. The want for him seem to fill every part of her…..yet, that was when she pushed him away. To his credit, he stopped. He was staring at her shocked and confused and still, he didn’t pressure her. She was covering her mouth with one hand, the other hand holding on to her stomach. Abby could not have hid the shaking of her body even if she had wanted too, Marcus didn’t say anything and then suddenly she whispered on a shaky breath. “I’m sorry.” And then just like that, she rushed out of the room. 

Marcus, seeing as he couldn’t fight anymore that night, went up to bed and took care of his own needs before drifting off to sleep. He had been told all through his childhood that ‘women were teases, only created to make a fool of a man.’ Marcus tried to force the voice of his father out of his head. There were some things that weren’t worth remembering. He tried to convince himself that Abby was not one of those things. 

Abby was relieved not to have seen Marcus anymore that night. She drove home after caring for the last of the injured fighters. The tears in her eyes confused her, she turned up the sound on the radio and listened to James Taylor as if he was going out of style. Normally, she would sing along and yet, tonight the words wouldn’t come to her and instead they landed somewhere deep in her heart as if she could make sense of the feelings that felt as if they were taking up root inside of her. 

The rain was coming down again as she walked into the place she shared with Callie.   
“There you are!”   
Abby jumped at the sound of Callie’s voice.   
“You scared me.”   
“I’m sorry, I told you I was headed home an hour ago.”   
Abby shrugged. “I thought Jake would be with you.”   
“No, not tonight. Even I need my rest.”   
“Then why aren’t you asleep?”   
Callie only gave Abby a smile in response.   
“Because I wanted to ask my oldest and dearest friend just what the heck is going on.”   
Abby shrugged as she pulled off her jacket and hung it on the rack.   
“I don’t even know myself.”   
“Well, at least you aren’t denying something is up.”   
Callie watched as her friend pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around herself as she sat in the corner of the couch.   
“I can’t care about someone like Marcus.”   
“He isn’t so bad.”   
Abby looked up at Callie. “Look, you can have anything you want with Jake. You guys are cute. Marcus likes me one second and not the next. I just can’t get into someone because he looks good in ripped jeans……”   
Callie let out a laugh.   
“Well, he looks like he kisses you as if he’s been training for it his whole life. Yes, Jake and I saw you guys in the medical room.” Callie sat down in the recliner and stared across at her friend. “Listen, just enjoy him.”   
“No, I am not the kind of woman that can just have sex with someone. I would care too much about him and yet, the second he was done with me, he could just get out of that bed and move on.”   
“How do you know that? Why would you even think that about Marcus?”   
Abby picked mindlessly at the blanket that was around her shoulders, yet her mind was on the man that had kissed her so well and so thoroughly. “Because before that first kiss, I had never in my life been kissed like that. That man has had training if you know what I mean, and I’m not talking about the fight club. If he can kiss like this, then there are women he left in his wake and I am not going to be one of those women.”   
“I will give you that. Jake has said he used to date a lot of women. Abby, since I have been around there, I have not seen Marcus with anyone. Jake says that Marcus talks about you a lot, asks a lot of questions about you.”   
“Please don’t do this, Callie. I cannot have something for someone who terrifies me.”   
“Have you asked yourself just why he terrifies you the way that he does?”   
Abby gave a slow nod of her head. “Because I’ve never wanted anyone the way that I want him, my mom used to say that she fell for my dad because he had good hair and a nice set of his eyes…….”   
Callie leaned forward. “You are not your mom and Marcus is not your dad. I know from experience of all the nights that I spent the night at your house that your parents were not meant to be together….”   
Abby’s eyes shot over to Callie’s quickly.  
“That is what I mean, I swore to myself that I would never let myself get hooked over a hot guy. Marcus is the most handsome man that I have ever seen in real life. I cannot get lost in him. I promised myself that I would fall in love with the good guy, not the guy that made me feel the things that Marcus makes me feel.”   
“Suit yourself, Abs. Honestly, I think you might be missing out.”   
“I don’t need a guy whose hobby is beating up other guys.”   
“Careful, Abs. I’m in love with a guy who does the same thing.”   
“Jake is good to you. He likes you all the time, doesn’t change his mind and the drop of a dime by trying to fire you.”   
Callie let out a small laugh. “You got me there, Abs. Oh, Derek left a note on the door. It’s on the kitchen counter.”   
“Thank you.”   
“He is dreamy too, Abby.”   
“Yes, and he is married. Nothing like finding that out when the wife shows up at work.”   
“Well, at least you didn’t sleep with him.” 

After days of rain, the sun finally came out. Callie and Abby were both relieved as they headed into the hospital together. It felt good to feel the heat on their faces as they walked along the hospital sidewalks that led to the large double doors.   
“Enjoy the feel of the sun, Abby. It is the last we are going to see of it until tomorrow.”   
Abby laughed. “Yes, but imagine, today may be the day we get in on a very good surgery. We are in the E.R. after all.”   
“I got to be in on a heart surgery three days ago. There was something amazing about seeing a heart beating just inches from my face.”   
“I want in on a brain surgery.”   
“Well, your ex-boyfriend is a neurosurgeon.”   
“Well, that is over now.” 

The day was slow in the E.R., everyone knew to not mention it. Once someone said ‘It is slow’, well, that would be the moment that the waiting room would be packed, shoulder to shoulder. Abby kind of preferred it this way, it gave her more one on one time with each patient. Although her job was not that of a counselor, sometimes it was nice to be able to take the time to comfort someone who felt a little scared.   
The clock showed four forty-four when Abby had last checked, she noted the time on the computer chart before she left the room of a four-year-old who had a broken arm after falling off a swing at the park. Abby told the little boy that it was a good sign that the clock matched his age. The little boy was not amused. The dad however, was.   
“Dr. Griffin?”   
Jackson was standing at the door to the hospital room.   
“Yes?”   
“We have an ambulance coming in, Jaha requested that you handle it.”   
Abby smiled.   
“Great! Handing me the big stuff. Little man, I will see you later.” She smiled at the four-year-old patient before walking to the double doors to wait for the incoming patient.   
The sirens were heard before the ambulance was in view. Abby said a silent prayer that she would be able to do her job wisely. That was when she saw the ambulance. Bellamy jumped out of the back of the vehicle.   
“Abby, we have a sixty-three-year-old woman, car accident, hit her head, no seat belt, BP is ninety-four over sixty and dropping. Conscious when we arrived, unconscious in route.”   
She took her spot next to the patient.   
“Room two, set up an I.V. with saline, call X-Ray and cat scan.”   
Jackson immediately ran into the building to call orders as Abby ran next to the gurney as Bellamy and Murphy pushed the patient into room two. Abby checked the vitals for herself as she began to talk to the patient.   
“My name is Abby Griffin; can you hear me?”   
The woman on the table looked up at Abby with eyes that looked tired. Abby smiled down at the woman as she listened to the patient’s vitals.   
“Hi there, glad you are back with us. Listen, I want you to keep your eyes open, alright? Can you tell me your name?”   
The woman opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again and then closed it again. Which led Abby to believe that maybe the woman couldn’t recall her own name. Then the elderly woman opened her mouth again and spoke softly.   
“Vera. My name is Vera Kane.”   
Abby couldn’t take the time to think what a weird coincidence it was that this woman shared the same last name as the cute guy from the fight club.   
Jackson came back into the room, ready to jump in and get started.   
“We have her name; can someone call the next of kin?”  
“Jackson, you stay, I’ll get it.” Harper took off out of the room before he could protest.   
They were able to get Vera Kane stabilized quite quickly. Vera did have a concussion and sure enough it was Dr. Derek Shepherd who would be coming down to get his own look at the patient.  
Abby stepped out to the nurses’ station where Harper was sitting behind a computer.   
“Harper, thank you for letting Jackson get some work in there.”   
The blond beauty looked up at Abby and smiled.   
“He’s a good guy, he deserved to be able to get some time in.”   
Abby had a suspicion that Harper had been nursing a crush on Jackson for quite some time.  
“Well, thank you, Harper. Listen, did you get in touch with the next of kin for bed two?”   
“Yes….” Her eyes darted to the computer. “I called Marcus Kane, her son. He is on his way.”   
It took everything inside Abby not to allow her mouth to drop open. Instead, she calmly nodded.   
“I’ll be heading over to get coffee, let me know if he has any questions. Do you know where Callie is?”   
“Her guy needed surgery, don’t expect to see her for at least a couple of hours.”   
Abby was disappointed, in this moment she had really wanted to tell Callie about the strange turn of events. 

Abby had just taken a sip of her coffee while she stood in the break room when Harper came bursting in.   
“I hate to do this to you, Abby. That guy is here, the son of bed two. He wants to know why no one has come by to talk to him.”   
“Sorry you had to deal with that, Harper. I’ll head over there now.”   
Abby held her coffee in one hand as she walked down the hospital corridor. She had to take a deep breath before walking into the room. Abby had not laid eyes on his since their kiss a few days before.   
“Marcus, hello.”   
He looked absolutely shocked as he looked across the room at her. “Abby?”   
Vera looked back and forth between her son and the doctor. “You know each other?”   
“Yes, I’ve met your son on a couple different occasions. Vera, has the neurologist been in to see you yet.”   
“No, but, I am here now.” Derek came walking into the room.   
“You, Mrs. Kane are indeed very lucky. I will get to that in a minute though. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Dr. Shepherd, I of course, already know this lovely lady.”   
He reached out and squeezed Abby’s forearm which did not go unnoticed by either Marcus or his mother. Derek stepped forward and shook Marcus’s hand before shaking the hand of Vera.   
Abby didn’t miss the way Marcus looked over at her with a question in his eyes. She immediately looked away, not wanting to do this here.   
Derek walked around the bed to where the computer was, not before letting his hand graze along Abby’s lower back. She hoped that Marcus didn’t see it, yet, she was too nervous to meet his eyes.   
“Alright, so honestly, you are really lucky. Although you do have a concussion, your brain suffered no permanent damage. We need you to stay awake for the next couple of hours and we want to watch you overnight. We are admitting you and will get you placed in a room where you can be a little more comfortable. It is warmer upstairs anyway.” He said it with a charming smile. Abby and Marcus didn’t notice, he was staring at her and she was staring at the ground.   
“Do you have any questions for me?” Derek said it looking from Vera then to Marcus. He noticed the son’s eyes on Abby and Derek felt his hairs stand on end on the back of his neck.   
“I don’t have any questions, Marcus do you have any for the neurologist?”   
Marcus gave a tight smile which he wished he could have made seem more real before looking at the doctor with the thick black hair and bright blue eyes.   
“No, no questions for you.” He emphasized the ‘you’ which was not missed by Abby.   
Derek gave a curt nod before signing out of the computer and walking back to the end of the bed, he set his sights on Abby.   
“Dr. Griffin, a word please?”   
Her eyes moved over to Marcus with an apologetic look in her eye before looking over at Derek.   
“Of course, Dr. Shepherd.”   
Marcus watched as she walked from the room, Derek’s eyes on Marcus’s as he followed behind Abby.   
“Honey, what was all that about?”   
He looked over at his mother.   
“You should get some rest. I’ll stay until you are allowed to fall asleep.”   
“Marcus, do you have feelings for that girl?”   
“Stop, let’s not do this right now.”   
“Well, she is beautiful.”   
That was something that Marcus couldn’t have denied if he had wanted too. 

Three hours later, Abby was back in the break room, her last cup of coffee was never finished and she desperately needed a hot cup of coffee. It was the coward’s way out when she sent Jackson in to check on Mrs. Kane. The truth was that she just didn’t feel like she could face Marcus when last, she saw him, he was looking at her as if she had done something wrong. Abby only stood in front of the coffee pot before she decided against it and instead headed to the locker room.   
Perhaps, she could take a few minutes to lay down as she waited for Callie who was finishing up with a patient. The locker room was quiet and why would it not be? The shift change had already happened all the E.R. personnel was on the floor. It was rare to have the locker room to herself. Abby leaned her forehead against the cool metal of the locker, it felt good, comforting even.   
“Who is he?”   
Abby jumped and turned around. Marcus stood staring at her.   
“You can’t be in here.”   
“I saw you come in, I was looking for you. Harper, that nurse said that you would be in the break room and then I saw you come in here. So, here I am. Tell me.”   
“Do you just do whatever the hell it is you want? You can’t just have everything.”   
He shook is head as he gave her a smirk.   
“Oh, well, if I could have anything I want, then I would have already had you in my bed. Is he the reason you ran away the other night?”   
She shook her head as she turned around and faced her locker, suddenly, she had to do something with her hands as she avoided that look in his eye, that curl over his forehead, the look of that black t-shirt that hugged his chest like a second skin.   
“I’m no longer seeing Derek.”   
“Hmmmmmm, does he know that?”   
“Yes, he knows that.”   
“Are you sure, Abby?”   
She slammed her locker shut without taking anything out of it and spun around to look at him.   
“Do you think I’m a liar, Kane?”   
He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his forearm muscles flexing. She knew he was moving his fingers in anger. There were things she was trained to see and with him Abby wanted to see every move. It drove her crazy.   
“I never said that you were a liar. I just want to know about this hold he has over you.”   
Abby shook her head and looked at nothing in particular.   
“Turned out that he was married. I was falling for him and it turned out that he was married.”   
“Well, he still has a thing for you.”   
She set her eyes on Marcus once more.  
“And he said that you have a thing for me.”   
Marcus arched an eyebrow as his eyes ran over her before he looked directly at her.   
“Of course, I have a thing for you. I’ve had a…….thing for you since I met you and you know it. Don’t play coy, Abby. You have a thing for me too.”   
They stared at each other for a long moment before Abby spoke.   
“I’m going to do everything I can to never give into that.”   
He looked at her like she had effectively shocked him.   
“Why?”   
“Marcus, please leave.”   
Instead he stepped in her direction, Abby backed up and he moved in closer. Marcus stepped over the bench and came to a stop directly in front of her.   
“You don’t want me to touch you, Abby?” His voice was low, dangerous and entirely sexy.   
“It isn’t a good idea.”   
He leaned in and yet, didn’t touch her. Still, he effectively set her on fire.   
“That’s strange.”   
“Why, Marcus?”   
He gave a small smile, his eyes on her lips before he met her own eyes again.   
“Because your breathing has changed, you’ve licked your lips twice while I’ve been standing right here and your fingers are twitching like you need to touch me. Do you need to touch me, Abby?”   
Without meaning too, she licked her lips a third time. Blush crept through her cheeks which didn’t go unnoticed by Marcus. Yet, she didn’t answer.   
“I have to tell you, Abby. I want to touch you. The things I want to do to you would make you blush a lot harder than you are right now. Have you thought about it? What it would be like if you gave into your desires?” Her eyes flickered up to his, they were blown wide open with desire. 

 

To be continued………………….


	4. Chapter 4

“Marcus, please leave.”  
Instead he stepped in her direction, Abby backed up and he moved in closer. Marcus stepped over the bench and came to a stop directly in front of her.  
“You don’t want me to touch you, Abby?” His voice was low, dangerous and entirely sexy.  
“It isn’t a good idea.”  
He leaned in and yet, didn’t touch her. Still, he effectively set her on fire.  
“That’s strange.”  
“Why, Marcus?”  
He gave a small smile, his eyes on her lips before he met her own eyes again.  
“Because your breathing has changed, you’ve licked your lips twice while I’ve been standing right here and your fingers are twitching like you need to touch me. Do you need to touch me, Abby?”  
Without meaning too, she licked her lips a third time. Blush crept through her cheeks which didn’t go unnoticed by Marcus. Yet, she didn’t answer.  
“I have to tell you, Abby. I want to touch you. The things I want to do to you would make you blush a lot harder than you are right now. Have you thought about it? What it would be like if you gave into your desires?” Her eyes flickered up to his, they were blown wide open with desire.  
They stared at each other, the hunger palpable, they could hear each other’s breathing and yet, neither moved.  
Then Marcus reached out with both hands as he gently touched the binaural part of the stethoscope, Abby didn’t move, she couldn’t seem to take her eyes off of his. He placed the ear tips in her ears, Abby instinctively reached for diaphragm that she had used hundreds of times to listen to a patient’s heart. Only this time her hand was shaking as she held it, Marcus placed his left hand over hers while his right hand lifted his shirt just enough so that he could guide her hand to his chest. The material of his shirt fell over her hand and wrist while he placed the device over his heart.  
Abby could hear the thump, thump, thump inside of his chest.  
He took a step closer to her, so close that their noses would gently bump against each other if they so much as moved and yet, all she really thought about was how his heart began to beat a little faster. Abby told herself to move her hand, to flee, to get away from him as fast as she could. Yet, there was another part of her that whispered ‘stay’ and it was that voice that she desperately wanted to listen too. Consequences be damned.  
Then he leaned in even closer, she was so sure that his lips would find hers and instead he ran the fingertips of his free hand down her cheek and against the delicate skin of her neck. Abby’s mouth fell open. Yet, he was no longer gazing at her. Instead his lips found the place the tips of his fingers had been on her neck just a moment before. Marcus allowed his teeth to graze the skin that tasted sweet, his tongue darted out and flicked across her skin before he laid the most tantalizing kiss just below her ear. He dragged his mouth against her in the same way he had bit into peaches during the summer. He felt it as she melted into his embrace and yet, she kept the device against his chest.  
The thump, thump, thump of his heart could practically be felt. She wanted to remember the sound of it for years to come.  
When he spoke, it was a husky whisper that made her want to give in to every feeling she had about him.  
“Abby, tell me, does your heart mirror my own?”  
“No.”  
“Are you still really going to deny that you want me so much, Abby?”  
She shook her head against him as he dragged his teeth across her earlobe.  
“That wasn’t what I meant.”  
He leaned back in order to look at her, this time he placed both of his hands to her neck as he bent at the knee so that they could be eye to eye.  
“Tell me what you meant.”  
Her eyes were hungry, he wasn’t sure if he had ever witnessed anything sexier. He wanted her, right here, right now and yet, she would have to say it.  
“Abby, tell me what you meant.”  
“I think my heart is beating even faster than yours ever could.”  
He reached for the stethoscope, gently pulling it from her ears and placing it in his. Marcus watched as her tongue once again flicked out to lick her lips. Damn it, every time she did that, it made him feel a bit mad with want. Marcus held the diaphragm in his hand and this time it was Abby that guided his hand to her chest.  
Marcus hadn’t expected her to guide his hand beneath the pink material of her scrub. The tips of his fingers grazed the skin of her abdomen as they slowly moved up to land on the top of her firm round breast. He could hear the fast rate of which her heart was beating and yet, he could think about nothing else except the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips.  
“Abby……..”  
Marcus closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers, this time it was him that licked his own lips as he tried to steady his breathing. Abby gripped his shoulder, feeling as if she might fall if she didn’t hold on to something. He let go of the device and instead gently ran his thumb over her breast, grazing over the nipple that was hardening for him. She moaned his name as she pulled the stethoscope off of him and let it fall to the floor.  
When he kissed her, it was easiest the most passionate kiss she had ever been given. They were as close as two people could be when clothes still separated them. Marcus held her neck, his fingertips were threaded through her hair as his other hand molded around her breast, he swallowed her moans as her name threatened to break through his lips.  
Thoughts of running were fading from her mind and were replaced by a desperate need to know him in every possible way. The kiss fueled by tension and need easily escalated within seconds of their lips crashing together.  
Every kiss with him was better than before, only after several dates in, had she ever let Derek touch her. Now, here she was with this man, wanting to feel him.  
Abby slipped her hands beneath the black material of his t-shirt, he felt like there was a fire beneath his skin and everything in her ran hotter when Abby realized it was she that put that heat in him. She squeezed and pulled the firm skin of his back as she tried to pull him closer as if it was even possible.  
Marcus let go of her neck, allowing his hand to slide down her body until he grabbed her backside and dragged her pelvis against his, eliciting a deep moan from both of them.  
Their lips parted as their foreheads fell together.  
“Abby…..” this time it was him that was breathless, when Abby heard him like that, it was as if every unsteady breath ripped at something in her. She couldn’t have responded with actual words if she had wanted too.  
Instead Abby lifted her pelvis against the hardness of him, he sucked for air through his teeth.  
“I want you, Abby.” Yet, the words barely made it out of him.  
He dropped his forehead to her shoulder as his right hand slid down to her the back of her knee. Abby gasped as he pulled her leg around his waist and pressed himself against her.  
“Mar…….” In the end, she couldn’t even moan his name as her head fell back against the locker. Everything with him felt intoxicating.  
They pressed against each other, his lips met her neck again, it was all too much.  
Abby let go of her hold on his back and instead threaded her hands into the thickness of his hair, letting him know how good it felt with the appreciative moans that fell from her lips.  
“Tell me you want me, Abby.”  
Still, she couldn’t say it. Not because she didn’t want too, yet, because that part of her brain had shut down.  
“Abby!”  
Marcus and Abby stopped and looked towards the intrusion. Dr. Shepherd looked completely and utterly shocked. His blue eyes wide open.  
“Abby?!”  
The good doctor looked back and forth between Marcus and Abby as he waited for someone to say something.  
Marcus slowly let go of Abby’s leg as she placed her foot back on the floor. Abby reluctantly pulled her hands from him as Marcus set his eyes on her. He gave her a small smile before he spoke so only she could hear.  
“I’ll see you soon, Abby.”  
With that he turned around and looked directly in the doctor’s eye while arching his eyebrow and planting a smirk on his face.  
“Dr. Shepherd.” With that Marcus walked out of the room. 

“What was that about?”  
Derek stood with his hands on his hips as the white coat of his doctor jacket fell over his wrists. Abby used to love that look on him.  
“It isn’t any of your business.”  
He took a step toward her, she shot her eyes up to him with a warning. He let out a heavy sigh as he stopped in place.  
“Abby, listen to me, we have a good thing.”  
“We had a thing and it’s over.”  
“I should have told you I was still married. It was over a long time ago.”  
She let out a sarcastic laugh as she turned around and opened her locker once again.  
“Abby, please.”  
“Don’t! This thing with us, whatever it was, is over!”  
“Why?”  
Carefully, she pulled out her things and set them on the bench before shutting her locker and turning to face the man that she was sure she would love. Yet, even if she had been with him, Abby wasn’t so sure she would have been away to stay away from a man like Marcus Kane.  
“Derek, please don’t do this.”  
He shook his head as if she was crazy.  
“You just expect me not to fight for you. I will forgive you for whatever you got going on with this Marcus guy.”  
“Forgive me? I wasn’t married to someone else when we were dating. I have every right to do whatever the hell it is I want with that man.”  
This time it was Derek that let out a small sarcastic laugh as he took one more step towards her.  
“And what is it that you have going on with this guy?”  
“I’m not answering that because it is none of your business.”  
When Derek set his angry blue eyes of her next, it was clear that he thought very little of the man that had just left the room.  
“Have you even had a date with him? I don’t think you have. I think he wants nothing more than to be in your pants. Which is funny, isn’t it? We dated for three months and you never let me get that far. Yet, here you are, in the middle of the locker room looking as if you were ready to give it all up.”  
“Shut your mouth, Derek!”  
“I don’t think I need too. I think you know as well as I do that he will be done with you the second you give it up.”  
“Why are you still here, Derek?”  
It was clear that his words had stung her deeply by the look of angry tears in her eyes.  
“Just so you know, when you are done with this Marcus guy, I’ll be here waiting. If you need to go and sow seeds and get this all out of your system, I’ll still be willing to take you back.”  
Abby put her hands behind her head, something she always did when she was overly tired with too much on her mind.  
“Just leave!”  
With a shake of his head, he finally turned from her and walked out of the room as Callie came walking in.  
“Baby girl, what on earth is going on?”  
This time Abby sat down as she let out a loud sigh. Abby took a few minutes to tell Callie everything including about the kiss up against the lockers.  
“Well, I’ll tell you one thing, I hope Jake shows up sometime and kisses me like that. Against my locker of course and not yours.”  
“Then Derek caught us of course.”  
“How far would you have gone with Marcus if Derek hadn’t of shown up?”  
Abby looked passed Callie and towards the bunk beds that were set up like train bed with little curtains for a bit of privacy.  
“I was tempted to find a way to fit into one of those little beds.”  
“Does Marcus know that?”  
“I’m not sure how he could have missed it.”  
The door open and Harper walked in.  
“Dr. Griffin, I’m sorry to bother you when you are about to head out. I thought you might want to know about Mrs. Kane.”  
“What happened?”  
“You are going to want to look at her blood work.”  
“Thank you, Harper. I’ll be there in a moment.”  
“Come on, let’s go see what Harper is talking about. When we get home, we can talk more about you and Marcus.”  
Abby walked out of the locker room behind Callie, to see Marcus leaning back against the wall. Marcus and Abby stared at each other, a smile playing on both of their lips. Callie could do nothing more than watch when Abby laid her hand on the middle of his chest and pressed him against the wall, Abby pressed her lips against his, laying a searing kiss to his lips.  
They stared at each other as she pulled away.  
“I have to go check your mother’s bloodwork. Normally, you should be gone by now. Go be with her, I’ll come in and talk to both of you once I know what I am dealing with.”  
He laid his hands on her waist and kissed her one last time.  
“And then what?”  
She gave him a small smile.  
“You’ll just have to give me time to think.”  
“Abby……”  
Slowly she moved forward until her mouth was at his ear.  
“I want you too, Marcus. I’m just not that kind of girl, I need time.”  
He groaned his displeasure.  
“You’ll be worth the wait, Abby.”  
With that, she walked away. 

It was nearly an hour later when Abby came in to the hospital room, her demeanor professional as she stood at the end of the bed.  
“Mrs. Kane…….”  
“Call me Vera, dear.”  
Abby gave a small sad smile.  
“Vera, I need to ask you a couple of questions.”  
“Ok.”  
“Is it alright that your son be here for this?”  
Vera nodded.  
“Have you had any trouble urinating recently?”  
“Not too much.”  
“Ok, how about a bad odor when you do?”  
Vera looked slightly embarrassed at the question.  
“Well, sometimes.”  
Abby gave a nod like she had expected that answer.  
“Does it hurt when you urinate?”  
“Only mildly, I thought it had to do with getting older.”  
“I can understand why you would have thought that. Well, your bloodwork is showing high levels of creatine which can indicate kidney failure. Right now, we are showing that your kidney function is at thirty two percent. Vera, how have you been feeling overall recently?”  
“Kidney failure? What does that mean?” Marcus was suddenly sitting on the edge of his chair as he looked at Abby with eyes that looked pleading.  
“I can understand your concern for your mother, Marcus. Really, I can. I have already sent her information up to Dr. K who is a wonderful Nephrologist, one of the best in her field. As for now, my main concern would be whether or not your mother could be dehydrated.”  
Abby looked back to Vera before speaking. “Do you normally drink water when you are thirsty?”  
Vera shrugged as if she was about to say something yet, it was Marcus who spoke.  
“My mother drinks coffee. A ton of it.”  
Abby nodded.  
“I like coffee myself, I can understand the addiction. How much water do you drink every day?”  
“Maybe one of those small bottles before I go to bed.”  
“Well, I will warn you now, Vera, that Dr. K will tell you to slow down on the coffee and to try to drink more water. As for now, I am actually going to push a bit more fluid on you. The saline will help hydrate you. We will rerun the blood work after about a full day of it to see if the kidney function has improved at all. In the meantime, the orderly is on his way to take you up to your room. I will be by to see you in the morning.”  
“Can I go up with her?”  
“Yes, Marcus. No one is going to kick you out tonight.”  
She gave him a small smile before looking back at her patient.  
“Is there anything that I can do for you, Vera?”  
“Am I allowed to have a sprite?”  
Abby smiled a genuine smile. “Of course, I will get you one.”  
Marcus followed her out of the room.  
“Is my mom going to be alright?”  
She turned to face him, placing one hand on his forearm and giving it a light squeeze in comfort.  
“Marcus, there is so much to look at it before we let worry take us over.”  
He stepped closer to her and spoke softly “Then why do you look so worried?”  
She let out a deep sigh before speaking.  
“Because I don’t know you very well and I’m worried about how you will handle it.”  
“Thank you, Abby.”  
She watched as he disappeared back into his mother’s room. 

To be continued……………………………….


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This may be a very difficult chapter to read. I am warning you before hand. If child abuse is something you suffered, you may not want to read.

“Is my mom going to be alright?”  
She turned to face him, placing one hand on his forearm and giving it a light squeeze in comfort.  
“Marcus, there is so much to look at it before we let worry take us over.”  
He stepped closer to her and spoke softly “Then why do you look so worried?”  
She let out a deep sigh before speaking.  
“Because I don’t know you very well and I’m worried about how you will handle it.”  
“Thank you, Abby.”  
She watched as he disappeared back into his mother’s room.

Abby arrived back at the hospital the next day, although Vera Kane had not been on her rotation, Abby couldn’t get the woman out of her head. She knew that a lot of it had to do with Marcus and these feelings she was still trying to keep under control.   
“Harper, do you know off hand what room Vera Kane was put in last night?”   
The pretty blond woman took a sip of her coffee before setting it down in order to type a key into the computer in front of her.   
“I’ll check for you. Give me a second.”   
“You look tired, Harper.”   
Harper nodded  
“Just too much mental work here at the hospital. My thirty minutes is coming up soon and I plan on sleeping for every second of it. You look like you could use some extra sleep as well.”   
Abby nodded in agreement. “More than you know.”   
“Mrs. Kane is room four twelve. Get yourself some coffee before you go up.”   
“I think I will do that.” 

Vera was sitting up and sipping on water when Abby walked in.   
“Hi there! I was wondering if I would see you today, dear.”   
“I wanted to see how you were feeling.”   
Vera gave a warm smile.   
“I know it sounds odd, but I am relieved to know why I’ve been so tired.”   
“I thought you said you’ve been feeling alright.”   
The older woman shrugged as she looked a bit sheepish.   
“There were some things that I didn’t want to say in front of my son. He worries so much about me.”   
Abby gave a slight nod.   
“Where is Marcus this morning?”   
“I told him to go to work, he’s not a bad guy.”   
Abby’s eyes widened at the comment.   
“I don’t think Marcus is a bad guy.”   
“Well, from one woman to another, I think it is clear that you are a little unsure about my son. I know he has his faults. Really, I do.”   
“I don’t mean to be rude, Mrs. Kane…..”   
“Vera, I told you to call me Vera.”   
A small grin crossed Abby’s lips as she recalled the request.   
“Vera, have I given you the impression that I don’t like Marcus?”   
Marcus’s mother shook her head.   
“No, it is my son that has given me the impression that he likes you very much. He said that your friend is dating Jake and that is how you know each other.”   
“Yes, Callie has been dating Jake for a little while now.”   
“Well, I know that Marcus can be difficult and so stubborn. I raised him, I know his faults better than anyone. I won’t ask you how my son gets all the cuts and bruises, he won’t tell me. However, if you care about my son half as much as he cares about you, then I hope you can stop whatever it is that he is doing to himself.”   
“I don’t think I can stop him.”   
Abby couldn’t look at the older woman as she said it.   
“So, you do know what he is doing to get these marks? Is my son safe at least?”   
“I believe so.”   
Both of the women stayed quiet for a short time. It was Abby who finally spoke.   
“I should get going, I just wanted to take the time to check on you.”   
“Abby, wait one second please.”   
“What can I do for you?”   
“I’m going to tell you something about my son. I think there is something that you should know.”   
“Are you sure that Marcus would be ok with you telling me whatever it is?”   
Vera let out a small, sad laugh.   
“Not even a little bit, however, I’m going to tell you anyway. I doubt you will run out of the room of a woman was told less than three hours ago that she has acute kidney failure.”   
Abby had suspected that was the news that Vera was going to be given. She wondered if Marcus knew the news yet.   
“You know that at some point I will have to tell Marcus that I know whatever it is that you are about to tell me?”   
“I would expect nothing less, he will be mad. However, my son has an amazing amount of compassion for me as I, him. Please at least sit down, Abby.”   
So, Abby took a seat in the chair meant for visitors. Vera fiddled with the hem of the blanket as she seemed to be bracing herself for whatever it was that she was about to say. Abby could do little else than sit and wait for the woman to talk.   
“When Marcus was born, he was the calmest baby. He rarely cried, hardly ever fussed at all. Even when he was teething, he merely just wanted to be held. His father was not a nice man, he was when we first dated. Then I became pregnant and his dad wasn’t exactly excited. Marcus was about four when his father first used him as a punching bag. I wasn’t home. I came home to find my son on the floor, bloody and battered. I cleaned him up and then held him until his crying turned into whimpers and then he finally fell asleep in my arms.”   
Vera stopped talking momentarily as the years of regret washed over her. Slowly, she began to speak again while Abby’s own heart seemed to be breaking.   
“His father began to hit Marcus at least once a week. In fact, Marcus, as young as he was would step in and try to take the beatings that were meant for me. How I wish I had been strong enough to leave. I wasn’t. Marcus was seven years old when his dad gave him one of the worst beatings of his life. My son ended up with two broken ribs and a bottom lips so ripped apart that I knew Marcus would always have a scar. The beating came because Marcus asked for a bike for his birthday. Well, I didn’t have the money for one so, while I was at work the day that Marcus turned seven, his dad woke him up. I don’t have to tell you that Marcus thought with a blind love that his father was waking him up to give him a bike. Jason did tell our son that he had a gift for him. My child followed his dad out to the shed where the beating took place. Jason said later that he was trying to teach Marcus not to be so selfish, which is why Marcus never asks anyone for anything now.”   
Abby found herself crying as she thought of the man as a little boy. Vera too, was crying.   
“It was when Marcus was fourteen that he got a job at the local bowling alley. He worked after school and on weekends. He saved up every dime. One day, he came to my work and said he had two thousand dollars saved up. He wanted me to leave Jason. We never even went back for our things, I just used the money Marcus had saved for first and last and of course some things we would need to make a new start. My son kept that job for a long time. We never saw Jason again. We were notified five years after leaving that Jason had drank himself to death. Marcus never cried over his father and won’t so much as talk about him.”   
“I can’t say that I blame him, Vera.”   
“I don’t blame him either. However, I do worry that Marcus has never healed from it. He’s a good man, Abby. I hope that you will give him a chance, I can’t think of someone who needs one more than my son.”   
Yet, Abby couldn’t respond to that. Not when her heart was still overcome with sadness as she thought of little boy Marcus.  
“Does he know about the kidney diagnosis?”   
Vera nodded “He knows that it isn’t good news.”   
“Have they talked to you about putting in a fistula so that you could do dialysis?”   
“I’m not going to fight.”   
Abby’s tear-filled eyes jumped up to Vera’s.   
“You aren’t going to fight?”   
“No. I’m sorry to lay so much on you in one conversation when it is clear that you care about my child. However, I just don’t want too.” 

When Abby arrived at Marcus’s house later, she should have known what she would find. Callie was down in the basement, a look of concern washing over her as she laid her eyes on Abby.   
“That man of yours…..”   
“He isn’t my man, Callie.”   
“Well, Marcus has broken his own rule. He has fought four times already tonight and shows no signs of slowing down.”   
It was clear that Callie was concerned. Marcus started on a fifth fight, it was then that he was overtaken and hit the floor with a hard thud. Abby watched in horror as Marcus didn’t even fight back, he just laid there taking hit after hit.   
“Stop!”   
Abby as small as she was, ran into the middle of the circle and covered Marcus’s body with hers. Two of the hits landing square in her side before the man, Bellamy stopped punching. He looked down in shock at the woman between him and Marcus. Although tears of pain filled her eyes, she kept her body over Marcus, suddenly picturing the little boy who could do nothing to protect himself.   
“Get out! All of you, get out!”   
The men who spent their nights and weekends fighting other men, suddenly weren’t brave enough to fight off the woman who didn’t stand very tall at all. Instead they turned and began to make their way up the stairs. Callie was running over with medical items.   
“Abby! Are you alright?”   
“Marcus?” Abby didn’t bother to take the time to answer her friend. She was trying to wake the man beneath her.   
“Abby, let me tend to him.”   
Yet, Abby didn’t move. Her hands shook as they held his bruised face.   
“Marcus, please wake up. Please. You don’t have to fight like this.”   
“Abby, let me take care of him.”   
Jake sat on the opposite side of Marcus, talking to him, trying to wake him.   
“He will be alright. He just fought too hard. Come on, Jake, Abby, you both know he was fighting too hard. He just needs to rest.”   
“We can’t move him. Jake, can you get him a blanket?”   
Jake stood and ran up the stairs, Callie finally stood and backed up. It was very clear that Abby was not going to let anyone help the man on the ground. Callie could do little else than watch her best friend speak softly to the man who had passed out from pain.   
Jake came back down the steps with a blanket and a pillow. Abby ignored the pillow and instead laid the blanket over Marcus as he softly began to try to speak without opening his eyes. In the end, they couldn’t make out what he was saying.   
“Abby, if you need us, we will be right upstairs.”   
It was clear that Abby wanted to be left alone with Marcus. 

In the end, Abby curled up next to Marcus and wrapped one arm gently around him. He whispered softly as she moved one hand gently through his hair. His next words would rip her apart.   
“Please don’t hit me anymore.”   
With that she broke as she leaned her forehead against the side of his head, her mouth close to his ear.   
“No one is going to hurt you, Marcus. You’re safe.”   
With that he let out a breath as a whimper escaped him, he leaned his head into hers as he seemed to drift back off to sleep.  
Three more times he would wake up from bad dreams, every time Abby would console him by whispering until he began to rest again. 

It was about five hours later when a very sore and tired Marcus woke to find that Abby was asleep next to him, her head on his shoulder.   
“Abby?”   
He moved gently so that her head would touch the ground gently. Marcus stood carefully, trying to keep the paint that he would eventually feel at bay. He watched as her eyes opened slowly. A look of concern crossing her face.   
“Marcus, are you alright?”   
Then she sat up and her breath hitched as she held her side.   
“Abby, what happened?”   
“I’m alright.”   
He reached down and took her hand, helping to bring her to her feet. Abby couldn’t hide it as she winced.   
“What happened?”   
“It doesn’t matter.”   
She put her arm around him, helping him as they began to walk up the steps. The smell of coffee filled their noses as Jake opened the door leading to the stairs.   
“Oh good, you guys are up. I was worried about you both being down there.”   
Marcus looked at his friend while one hand held the swollen spot above his right eye.   
“Man, what happened to me last night?”   
“Come sit down and I will tell you.”   
Marcus took a seat as Callie handed him a cup of coffee. Jake sat across from him as Abby leaned back against the kitchen counter.   
“One of the rules with fight club is that we are only supposed to have one fight a night. Marcus, you have to stick to those rules.”   
Abby watched as Marcus shook his head as he began to relive the night before.   
“I know that I had overdid it. However, what I don’t get is how I ended up sleeping on the floor.”   
Jake gave a slight nod as he began to speak.   
“Your fifth and final fight took place with Bellamy. He can be a tough fight even if he is the only fight of the night. However, he overtook you pretty quickly. Being that there are no rules to fight club, he continued to hit even when your body guard here fell on top of you to protect you.”   
“What?” Marcus glanced back at Abby.   
“She forced everyone out and wouldn’t leave you.”   
Abby suddenly couldn’t make eye contact with that man she had slept next to all night long.   
“Is that what happened to you, Abby?”   
“I’m fine, Marcus.”   
It almost shocked her when he stood up and walked towards her.   
“Come on, Abby.”   
“I’m fine.”   
“No, come on. Callie, can you check her?”   
“I wanted to check her last night, she wouldn’t hear of it.”   
Abby walked towards the room where she had checked Marcus several times already. She wasn’t shocked when Marcus had refused to leave the room as Callie gently and carefully checked Abby’s bruising. It only took a few minutes. Marcus had leaned back against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he waited a bit impatiently. Finally, Callie, stepped back as she pulled Abby’s shirt back into place.   
“You are going to be just fine. The bruising as you know, will last for a couple weeks. I think a hot shower and resting today will be good.”   
“It’s a good thing that I don’t have to work today.”   
Callie gave a soft smile before she leaned down and kissed her friend on the forehead.   
“I am going to leave you two alone, I have to get to work.” With that Callie left the room leaving Marcus and Abby alone.   
“Abby, why would you protect me? I can’t fathom why you would have done that.”   
He moved to the small bed slowly and helped her into a sitting position. She sat up as Marcus stood between her legs, there was nothing sexual about it, not right in this moment anyway.   
“I didn’t want you to feel like you had to be hit.”   
She could feel him tense when she said it.   
“What makes you think that I believe I need to be hit?”   
Abby didn’t look into his face, instead she stared at a spot on his chest.   
“It was just so scary to see you on the floor like that. You weren’t even fighting in the end. Marcus, you were looking up at Bellamy with the saddest, strangest look on your face. I just didn’t want you to be hurt.”   
She felt herself choke up. Marcus took one of her hands in his and squeezed gently.   
“Thank you, Abby. I have to go to work and then check on my mother.”   
He said it so softly before letting go of her hand.   
“Abby, did you hear about my mother’s diagnosis yet?”   
She nodded.   
“I saw her yesterday.”   
He gave her a small, sad look.   
“I have to go.”   
With that he stepped away from her. 

To be continued…….


	6. Chapter 6

Marcus laid on his back as he stared up at the ceiling of his bedroom, his body was still healing from the fights with the guys. Yet, it wasn’t the fights that were on his mind. No, it was Abby that was on his mind. He couldn’t fathom why she had protected him, taken punches for him and then stayed with him in the cold basement all night long. He hadn’t seen her back at the house in nearly a week although he had spoken to her a couple of times at the hospital when Abby stopped by to see how his mother was. That was something he couldn’t quite figure out either. 

Monday brought sun out, normally that was something that he loved. Today though he would be going back to the hospital, Vera had made it very clear that she wanted to go home. Today his mother would be getting her wish. It had been Abby who sat down across from Marcus in the waiting room and asked the question softly. 

“Do you understand what it means that your mother doesn’t want treatment?”   
Marcus had shrugged.   
“Her organs will shut down eventually.”   
Then he had leaned forward and whispered.   
“How long will she have, Abby?”   
Across from him she had dragged her bottom lip through her teeth as if she was trying to brace herself to share bad news.   
“About a week, probably no more than ten days.” Her voice was a mere whisper as she said it.   
“Ten days? I’ll lose my mom in less than ten days?”   
“I’m so sorry.”   
“Well, she has to fight then, she can’t just give up.”   
“Marcus……” She reached out and touched his arm then, squeezing it lightly.   
In response he had only stared at her, waiting for her to continue.   
“In my short experience here at the hospital, I have learned a few things. One of the things that I’ve learned is that when people are ready to let go, we need to tell them that it is alright. It isn’t fair to make people fight when their souls are tired.” 

That had been his last conversation with her. Now, Marcus would be going to the hospital to be with his mother as she was transported home so that she could die. Now he would be rolling out of bed, showering and then packing a bag so that he could be with his mother while she faded from this world. So, today when he should have been glad for the warmth of the sun, there felt like there was nothing about it that he could enjoy. 

Abby purposely stayed at the hospital long after her shift was done so that she could say something, no matter how small to Marcus. Although, she now had medical training in everything from bandages, to stitches and to how to handle a crying and injured infant, what she didn’t know was how to comfort a son who was going to lose his mother……especially when she had feelings for that man.   
When her cellphone rang, she quickly answered it.   
“Jackson?”   
“You told me to let you know when he arrived.”   
Abby would have laughed that everyone knew who ‘he’ stood for, only today there wasn’t much humor in anything.   
“Thank you, is transport here yet?”   
“No, they should be here in the next few minutes though. I think Mrs. Kane would like to see you.”   
“Why do you say that?”   
“Because she keeps asking if you are going to come by.”   
Abby smiled through the sadness before speaking.   
“I’ll head up now.” 

It was clear that the toxins were already building up in Vera’s body. She had begun to swell, an obvious sign that the fluid had stopped being able to be processed out of her body. Yet, the woman in the bed smiled at Abby as she walked in. Marcus sat with his mother’s hands in both of us as his eyes stared at the woman who raised him, so focused on her that he didn’t see or hear Abby when she came into the room.   
“Hello, Abby.”   
“Hi, Vera. Do you need anything before you go?” She gave Marcus a small, sad smile before focusing her attention on Vera.  
“Will they give me pain medicine before I go?”   
“I can ask, I don’t think it will be a problem.”   
Marcus bowed his head, as if the tears in his eyes were not meant to be seen by anyone except his mother.   
“Why don’t you let me go ask, that way I can give you two a minute.” With that Marcus stood up, squeezed his mother’s hand before walking out.   
“You haven’t told him?” Vera seemed to sink further into the pillows when her son left, as if she was free to give into the exhaustion.   
“No, I didn’t see the point of telling him that I knew.”   
“He must have taken the news of my impending departure in the most brutal of ways, he is so bruised.”   
Abby nodded, turning her head towards the door to be sure that Marcus was still down at the nurses’ station. When she saw him speaking to Jackson, she turned her attention back to Vera.   
“He will need time to move forward. A new hobby, a new outlet, something new to focus on.”   
“I had always hoped to live long enough to see my son have a family. It seems so cruel to leave when he doesn’t have everything figured out. Yet, he loves me too much to ask me to fight.”   
Abby knew that was true.   
“I know that Jake, Callie and I will be there for him as best we can. I promise you that we will do what we can to help him.”   
Vera gave that small, sweet smile.   
“I’m glad that he has all of you. It really helps to know that he won’t be alone. He cares about you, Abby. I think you know that.”   
Abby heard footsteps and watched Marcus as he came back into the room.   
“Jackson is going to come in and give you something for the pain. The doctor had already approved it.”   
“Good, I don’t want it to hurt when they move me.”   
He moved to the side of his mother’s bed and took her hand in his.   
“Do you need anything else, mom?”   
Vera shook her head as she looked up at him.   
“Don’t worry so much, I’m just very tired.”   
Marcus turned to Abby and looked so desperate, his eyes clearly asking a question that he wasn’t brave enough to voice out loud. Slowly, she walked to the side of the bed, standing next to him.   
“The medication will help to ease the discomfort. I’m going to go. Marcus, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know.”   
With that she put her arm around him and gave him a brief hug before she leaned over the bed and hugged Vera.   
“It was nice to have met you, Vera.”   
Vera hugged Abby tightly as she whispered in the younger woman’s ear.   
“Please take care of him.”   
The days passed slowly as Marcus sat next to his mother, only leaving her in order to shower or to sleep on the couch across the room from her. A hospice nurse stayed for hours at a time, telling Marcus what would happen as the toxins took over her body.   
“Marcus?”   
“Yes?”   
He sat up from where he had been falling asleep. Quickly he moved to her and sat on the side of the bed and looked into her tired eyes.   
“I want to tell you something.” Her words came out slowly, every breath an effort.   
“Mom, you don’t have to talk.”   
“I do, Marcus. I have to tell you something.”   
“Ok.” He patted her hand as he said it, assuring her that he would listen.   
Vera gazed at her only son, giving him a small smile.   
“I don’t know why you are so bruised all the time. But, honey, you are no one’s punching bag.”   
He shook his head.   
“Mom, please don’t do this. We don’t have to talk about this.”   
“We do!” With that she sucked in her breath and resting for a moment before she began to speak again.   
Marcus knew enough about his mother to let her finish what she needed to say.   
“Your dad was not a good man and even though you may carry his DNA, you are not him. Marcus, you are your own man and you are a good man. Don’t continue to do whatever it is you are doing. Make a life with someone, have babies and be the kind of man your father never was.”   
They stayed quiet for a long moment, only the sounds of her struggled breathing filled the room. When he spoke, it was a whisper as if he was fighting to get the words out.   
“I’m sure one day that I will.”   
“And Marcus?”   
She cupped her child’s face in her hands as the tears filled her eyes.   
“My son, I am so sorry that I didn’t fight to protect you.”   
He shook his head as he covered her hands with his.   
“We don’t have to talk about any of this.”   
“Marcus Daniel Kane, you were my responsibility, my child, the love of my life. I should have protected you, I’m so sorry.”   
“I love you, mom. I never blamed you.” Because sometimes you lied when it was too hard to tell the truth. The little boy had been angry with her, it was the man who had learned to forgive the woman who had also taken beatings.   
In the end, Marcus couldn’t fall asleep. He stayed up and watched her and he continued to do the same for the next two days. 

“Marcus?”   
He opened his eyes and looked up at the nurse standing over him.   
“What? What’s wrong?” He sat up quickly, throwing the blanket off of his tired body.   
“It’s almost time.”   
Although Marcus had known the time was coming, something inside his chest began to hurt. He felt the tears well up as he moved to his mother who hadn’t said a word in over twenty-four hours.   
“Mom?”   
Yet, he knew that she wasn’t going to say anything, the toxins had already poisoned her brain. Instead her could only listen to the last shallow breaths that his mother would make.   
“Mom?” This time it came out in a broken sob as he squeezed her hand even when he knew that she wasn’t going to squeeze it back.   
He laid his head on her chest and cried.   
He had told himself that he had prepared for this moment, that he had been ready for it and now it was clear that this was not the kind of moment that someone could be ready for.   
“Marcus, your friend is here.”   
It was Jake, he didn’t need to look in order to know. Jake had always had a habit of showing up when Marcus needed him the most. 

“Abby?”   
She had just stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her when Callie knocked on the door.   
“Yes?”   
“I thought you should know that Jake called, Vera died an hour ago.”   
Abby felt her heart break inside her chest as she thought of the woman who had become like a friend and then for the man who rarely left her thoughts.   
“Are you alright, Abby?”   
“Do you know how Marcus is?”   
“Jake said he was taking it pretty hard. He is supposed to call when they get home. I’ll ask about him again. I’ll be in my room if you need me.”   
“Thanks, Callie.”   
Abby stood motionless in the bathroom for several minutes, wondering if Marcus was ok before picking up the toothbrush and going through the motions as she thought of the woman whose smile she wouldn’t see again. She checked her cellphone, curious to see if Marcus had called for her while she had been in the shower, feeling disappointed when he hadn’t needed her in this moment.   
Slowly and quietly she put on lotion before slipping on a pair of underwear and old faded red t-shirt to sleep in. Outside the rain began to fall and it seemed fitting for the feeling inside of her chest. Abby looked over at her cellphone and picked it up, thinking that she should say something, anything to him.   
The knock on the door made her freeze.   
“Abby?”   
“Are you expecting someone, Callie?”   
The other woman shook her head as together they went to the front door.   
“Callie, its Jake.”   
They gave a sigh of relief at the sound of Jake’s voice on the other side of the door. Abby reached for the handle and opened the door quickly. Yet, her eyes weren’t on Jake, they were on Marcus. He looked broken as the rain pelted down on him as he stood on the porch. Abby wasn’t even aware as Jake moved past her and into the house.   
“Marcus, come in.”   
He walked in and said not a word even as Callie gave him a hug.   
“Let’s give Marcus a minute.” Jake took hold of his girlfriend’s hand and pulled her into another room, leaving Abby alone with Marcus.   
“Come with me.” Abby whispered it without so much as touching him.   
He followed her into the small hallway and into the room that had nothing more than the television on. Marcus watched her as she moved to the other side of the bed and yet, she still said nothing. Abby only gazed at him, as if she knew every one of his emotions without him having to say a word. So, instead of asking her how she felt about it, he toed off his shoes as he pulled off his shirt. Abby slipped into bed, laying on her back as she watched him. Marcus undid his button fly jeans before pulling the faded blue jeans off his body.   
It would have seemed so sexual had the circumstances been different. Yet, even when he slipped his fingers into his black cotton boxers and pulled the rain drenched material from his body, neither thought of anything beyond this moment.   
What was on their minds was the broken heart that was still beating inside of his chest as he thought of his mother that he could never speak to again.   
Abby knew the truth of this man’s childhood and yet, she said not a word about it. No, this was something that Marcus would have to tell her in his own time. As he put his clothes over her chair, hoping that they would somehow dry out before morning, he was grateful that he wouldn’t be climbing into a bed to sleep alone.   
Marcus was desperately tired, exhausted from the emotions of the last few days. It felt as if his muscles were weighed down by a force he couldn’t see. All he wanted to do was to close his eyes and sleep and yet, he was sure that behind his eyelids, he would see his dead mother calling out to him.  
Nightmares was not something that came to Marcus Kane all too often. When the nightmares did come they were normally of his father, his angry face and angry fists coming at the little boy that couldn’t do a thing to defend himself.   
Here was Abby, lying there, her eyes sad as she looked up at him. Her eyes weren’t running over him like he had hoped for a million times, no, instead they just invited him to lay down next to her. That alone made something in his chest hurt. How was it that she could always know what was going on within him without him so much as saying a word.   
Abby reached out and picked up the remote control off the night stand, she flipped off the television that he was sure would have cast them into the dark. Instead a small nightlight gave a soft dim glow to the room that seemed oddly comforting.   
Marcus reached out and took hold of the comforter and slowly pulled it back from the bed, displaying the sheet beneath. Slowly, he slipped into the warmth of the bed, letting his naked body be covered by the comforter and still, there was something more he needed. Abby laid her right arm out across the pillows, Marcus took the invitation as he moved towards her and laid his head against the material over her breasts. Even then it wasn’t sexual as she wrapped both of her arms around him.   
At first his cries were soft as his body began to shake against her. Slowly his cries turned into outright sobs as the reality of his mother’s death filled him. Abby cried with him even as she spoke to him. The sounds of her broken words brought him comfort, seemed to fill him with a bit of peace.  
“I’m here, it will be alright, Marcus. It will. You aren’t alone.”   
She held him tightly, one hand rubbing his back as his heart broke so vulnerably in front of her. Abby whispered into his hair, kissing the top of his head, praying that he would believe that the pain would eventually dull, that he would learn to live again.   
“Everything hurts.” It was all he could say, even those words seemed to take all of his effort.   
“I know, Marcus, I know. Tell me how to help you.”   
He shook his head against her as the tears began to fall.   
“I’m so tired.”   
She could do nothing more than to nod against him that she understood as her fingers moved up and down over his back, trying not to touch the deep, dark bruises.   
“Just sleep, it’s ok. I’m here.”   
Abby listened as his crying began to fade as his breathing evened out. She kept her arms around him, continued to stroke him as she spoke in mere whispers of comfort. Abby felt as his body grew heavy against hers as he gave into the sleep that he needed so desperately. 

To be continued……


	7. Chapter 7

She held him tightly, one hand rubbing his back as his heart broke so vulnerably in front of her. Abby whispered into his hair, kissing the top of his head, praying that he would believe that the pain would eventually dull, that he would learn to live again.   
“Everything hurts.” It was all he could say, even those words seemed to take all of his effort.   
“I know, Marcus, I know. Tell me how to help you.”   
He shook his head against her as the tears began to fall.   
“I’m so tired.”   
She could do nothing more than to nod against him, letting him know with a touch that she understood, her fingers moved up and down and over his back, trying not to touch the deep, dark bruises.   
“Just sleep, it’s ok. I’m here.”   
Abby listened as his crying began to fade as his breathing evened out. She kept her arms around him, continued to stroke him as she spoke in mere whispers of comfort. Abby felt as his body grew heavy against hers as he gave into the sleep that he needed so desperately.

Abby awoke as the rain continued to come down outside, the room was dark except for the blinking of the power light on her laptop. Before drifting off to sleep, she had carefully turned off the television using the remote control while she kept Marcus tucked against her. His head was cradled against her breast, her right hand still stroked his back. Abby was half terrified that he would wake if she ceased the movement of her hand.   
Marcus stirred against her body, she heard him whimper, not sure if it was the physical pain of all the punches he had taken or if it was the broken-hearted pain of the loss of his mother. There seemed to be little she could do other than let out the soft sound of ‘shhhh’ against the top of his head. Marcus raised briefly, never looking at her. Instead he took a moment to look around the dark room as if he had to remind himself where he was. Abby pressed her hand against his back, letting him know that she was still there.   
“My mother is gone.”   
He sounded broken, destroyed as he said the sad fact.   
“I know, Marcus.”   
He laid his head back against her breasts.   
“I have to make funeral arrangements.”   
“I can help you, Marcus.”   
“I just want to stay right here, against you, until morning.”   
Although it hadn’t sounded as if he was crying, she felt his tears seep through her night shirt.   
“I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”  
Her hands continued to move over him, caressing his skin as he gave into the pain that seemed to be radiating through his chest. She felt safe as he laid against her, like he could believe her words, that she wasn’t going to leave him and make him deal with this all on his own. Except for his mother, he had dealt with almost everything in the only way he had known how – by himself.   
Marcus shouldn’t have noticed the way her breasts were more than comforting or the way that her nipples had hardened as his breath blew against the material that separated them. He couldn’t seem to help it as turned his head only slightly in order to allow his mouth to close over the area where he knew her breast awaited him. It didn’t seem to matter that the shirt was between them, he heard her sharp intake of breath. Marcus slid his hand beneath her breast, slightly caressing, his tongue circling around the area that wasn’t exposed to him.   
When she caressed the back of his head with one hand, it felt like an unspoken agreement that he could continue. Right now, all he wanted to do was to keep going, in this bed, with her, this was the best type of comfort. He dropped his hand to the hem of her shirt, allowing his fingers to move beneath the shirt that had stayed on her body for far too long. She felt him as he hardened against her, a desperate moan escaped her, she wanted him, even through her fear of him, she was hungry for him in a way that she had never known before.   
“I’m supposed to be comforting you.”   
He lifted her shirt as he heard her words, Abby allowing it to be pulled over her head. His eyes moved over her exposed chest and then moaned as he licked his lips.   
“You are.”   
With that he lowered his head once again and pulled her nipple into his mouth. Abby told herself to stop even as the sensation of him threatened to wreck her completely.   
“This is a bad idea.” The words barely made it through her lips as she tried to hang on to some reserve. Marcus moved his body against hers, the feel of his desire pressing against her as he moved both his hands into her hair as he gazed down at her. He could have said a million different things in this moment and instead he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth sending heat pooling through her entire body as the sensation of his teeth made her feel things that had never been felt by her before. He let her bottom lip go with a slight little pop before he gave her the softest kiss at the side of her mouth.   
“You’ll destroy me, Marcus.”   
He stopped the small kisses and stared down at her.   
“I’m already destroyed, Abby. Right now, you feel like the only real solace I’ve ever felt.”   
Abby believed him, she could see the truth in his eyes.   
“It feels like you’ll hurt me.”   
He gave the tiniest shake of his head, if she had blinked, she would have missed it. When he spoke, it was a soft sound, barely coming through his lips.   
“Please don’t say no, I need you.”   
And how could any woman in the world deny Marcus Kane when he was naked, hard and pleading while his body was against hers? He knew when she leaned up to kiss him, that it was her agreement to allow him to find comfort in her body.   
It would have been a lie if Abby had said that she hadn’t thought of the following moments hundreds of times. Only in her mind, all the moments with Marcus had been hard and fast. The reality of what took place was far different than in any fantasy.   
He kissed her, deeply, slowly before whispering how much he needed her. She knew it was true, just like every other moment in the bed that she was sharing with him.   
There wasn’t a lot of fore play, she had always imagined that there would have been, yet, this situation was different than in any of the scenarios of him that had ran through her mind over the past few weeks. It didn’t feel odd when she wrapped her legs around his waist or when he gripped himself in order to line himself up with her.   
Although she was wet, he had to push in inch by inch, it had been a long time since she had been with anyone. Abby watched him as he tightened his jaw as he kept his eyes on the way he was entering her.   
“You’re so tight.” He said it as he swallowed hard, it wasn’t a complaint, it was something else altogether.   
At last, he was buried deep within her, Marcus couldn’t help but still momentarily as the feeling of being fully surrounded by her over took him. He laid his forehead against Abby’s as her hands drifted up and cupped his face. Slowly stroking him, comforting him even now after allowing him to take her. Abby could feel the rise and fall of his chest, she could feel his entire body as it seemed to be shaking from within.   
Then, he finally moved, slowly, not the way she had envisioned it at all. Marcus cupped her head in his hands, his eyes on hers as he raised his hips before slowly pushing back into her. Abby gasped at the pleasure of it, the way it felt more than merely comforting him and even though she didn’t want to think about it, the emotional feelings scared her. It was with great determination that Abby pushed the fears away and enjoyed the way it felt to be held in this way by Marcus Kane.   
Their bodies moved together as if they had perfected their pairing years before, she could see that he was trying to hang on.   
“You can let go, Marcus.”   
Her words came out in a breathless whisper.   
“I want you to enjoy it, Abby.”   
“I am enjoying it.”   
He didn’t have to ask her if he meant it, he knew that she did. Marcus closed his eyes as he once again laid his forehead against hers. His breathing became hitched as he moved slightly faster into her. Abby gripped his back, hanging on to him, feeling as his entire body began to tense as his orgasm began to build through him. She heard his moans, gasps and felt his breath come out in rapid succession. She felt as his fingers tightened against her scalp until his hips pushed into hers one last time.   
Marcus didn’t move his body away from hers, instead he laid his head on her shoulder even as he was still buried inside of her. The weight of him felt good against her, she was sure that she would be content to stay with him like this as long as he needed.   
They didn’t speak, instead she rubbed both hands along his back.   
“I could finish you off, Abby.”   
“Don’t worry about me. Not right now, just rest.”   
“How long will everything hurt?”   
She wrapped her arms tightly around him.   
“I wish I knew how to answer that, I can only tell you that I’ll be here if you need me.”  
“Why?” The one-word question came out in the saddest tone she had ever heard him use.   
“Oh Marcus, because I want to take care of you, I want to protect you even from yourself.”   
“You realize that you are too good for me? I know you know that, Abby.”   
“I don’t want to think about that right now.”   
“Tell me what you do want to think about.”   
“I want to think about how good it feels to have your body against mine.”   
She felt it as he twitched within her, knowing that he was hardening as they laid there with him tucked inside of her. When he moved, it shocked her at first, until he pulled her with him so that she was straddling him. The change in position made her gasp at the sensation.   
“Good girl.”   
Abby knew he was commenting on how their bodies had managed to stay intertwined as he maneuvered them. He looked sexy, the way he was lying on his back and looking up at her even as he grew stiffer. Marcus gripped her hips and urged her to move.   
The moan she let out was loud as she gripped the headboard behind him. He watched her as her eyes closed and her mouth fell open. His hands moved up her sides and to her breasts, massaging them even as his eyes stayed on her, not wanting to miss a moment of her responses. Letting go of the headboard, she laid them on his chest as her hips rocked against his.   
“Give me your hands, Abby.”   
Marcus held up his hands, doing as he asked, she placed her hands on his as their fingers intertwined. With his strength, she was able to rock a bit harder. He bucked his hips, giving her more of him. The moans escaped her almost too loudly, neither of them cared about who could hear them.   
Rocking like this with him felt as natural as breathing, as if this was something they had done dozens of times before.   
The truth was that Abby knew that no matter what happened after this night, she would be in love with him. It wasn’t because she allowed him to take comfort in her, it was the feelings behind it, the intimacy of knowing him in this way when he was at his worst emotionally. Deep down, she knew that he would know that and what would come of it would be completely up to him.   
The orgasm built quickly, she felt the heat of it, the first thrilling sensations wrapping around her body as his name fell in moans from her lips.   
Abby gripped his hands harder as her back arched, her head flung back, allowing her hair to fall in waves over her shoulders and around her breasts.   
“Don’t stop, Abby, don’t stop.”   
With that she moved again, taking more control atop him, moving her hips in a sweet rotation that made everything in him take notice. Abby watched him as his eyes rolled back in his head, his breath coming out in gasps as she gained speed.   
“Abby………”   
That was all he could say as his hips thrusted up into her as he began to lose all chance of holding out any longer. He let go of her hands and instead gripped her hips tightly, keeping her in the same rocking motion that had given her body the ability to own his. Abby couldn’t help but watch the sexy way his head fell back as his back arched up. He came with a heavy moan, his hands falling from her body as Abby fell forward and laid her head against his chest. This time it was him that held her as she struggled to regain the ability to breathe. 

They woke up as the sun began to break through the clouds, the chill was still in the air, Marcus pulled the blanket up and around them. Abby had rolled on to her side, the chill having an effect on her body that felt cold to his touch. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her body to his while the blanket surrounded them. He stared at her, the way a small smile seemed to tug at the corner of her lips even as she slept.   
He wanted to stay here with her, to be able to keep safely tucked in this bed against her. Had he ever felt quite like this? He didn’t think so. Marcus hadn’t felt like he had the right to touch her, yet, if he had the chance, he would do it again and again. Even now as he thought about it, he felt the first signs of arousal. Yet, there was the fear that she wouldn’t feel the same, not in the light of day. Maybe she would have a change of heart. He felt himself bracing for it, the rejection that he had felt time and time again in his life.   
The mere idea of Abby being the one to turn him away, felt as if it would hurt him on a whole new level. That was something he couldn’t take especially after the last week as he watched his mother fade away. Suddenly, she stretched next to him. Her eyes stay closed even as her breasts grazed his chest, the smile that was on her face just moments before, grew wider. Then she absolutely shocked him when she leaned into him, pressing her body firmly against his. With a great relief, he wrapped his arms around her, tightly holding on to her as he kissed the crown of her head. The sound of her contently sighing made a smile come to his face.   
“What time do you want to head over to the funeral home?”   
“I guess I should get going.”   
“Maybe we should eat before we go.”   
She said it as she nestled her head against his chest. Marcus on the other hand froze momentarily as he thought about her words. She had said ‘we’. Only his mother had used that term when talking about him before. Jake had used it a few times, however, most women he had been with had never used the term. In fact, it was known from the get go that their moments together were nothing more than a tryst.   
“You want to come with me?”   
He felt her body tense against his.   
“Oh, did you want to go by yourself, Marcus?”   
He shook his head lightly, knowing she couldn’t see him.   
“Please come with me. I don’t want to do this by myself.”   
And that was it, wasn’t it? The reason why she was already so desperately in love with the man in her bed. The way the same man who could take punch after punch, hit after hit, was the same person who could be so completely vulnerable while trying to hold himself together.   
“Of course, I will come with you. Let me make you something to eat first.”   
The knock on the door made them both freeze.   
“Abby?”   
“What’s up?”   
“Jake and I are leaving for work. He wants to know if Marcus needs a ride.”   
“No, I’ll give him one.”   
There was the sound of muffled laughter on the other side of the door.   
“Ok, we will see you both later. Bye.”   
Then there was the sound of Callie telling Jake to shut up as they both laughed.   
“I guess they heard.” Abby blushed as she said it, making Marcus smile.   
“Are you upset that they know?”   
She shook her head.   
“No”   
Abby leaned up and laid a small sweet kiss to his lips.   
“Come shower with me after I throw your clothes in the dryer.”   
“I’ll have to stop by my place. I want to look decent when planning my mother’s funeral.” 

They showered, ate breakfast and then Marcus sat behind Abby on the bed as she did her makeup. He trailed his fingers along her body as she was clothed in only a matching bra and panty set. A deep burgundy color that he liked against her skin tone.   
“I like that you don’t wear a lot of makeup.”   
“Really?”   
“Abby, you are so beautiful, it’s not something you should hide beneath makeup.”   
She leaned back against him briefly before going back to do her makeup.   
“Marcus?”   
“Hmmm?”   
“Are you going to come back here with me tonight? You don’t have to. I was just thinking that you might not want to be by yourself yet. So, if you want to, you can come back here. It is completely up to you. No pressure. Anyway…..”   
“Abby….”   
He said her name gently and waited for her to turn to him, but, she didn’t.   
“Abby?”   
Marcus pulled at her hips gently, pulling her body back against his.   
“I’m sorry, I’m not trying to pressure you.”   
“Do you think I feel pressured, Abby?”   
“I don’t know.”   
“I’m not and I don’t. I don’t have any right to feel what I’m feeling right now. You feel like my God given solace. Let me lay with you tonight, this afternoon, all the time. I don’t want to go into the sordid details of my past, it is too dark to share. I want to tell you this much though, I haven’t felt safe in such a long time. Last night, you let me walk into this house soaking wet. I hadn’t planned on things progressing the way that they had and still you didn’t condemn me when I stripped down to nothing……..in fact you let me crawl into bed with you and lay my head against you and cry. Abby, you gave me something that few people have ever given me and that is comfort. I’d very much like to come back here with you tonight.”   
With that Abby allowed her head to lay back against his shoulder.   
“So, no fight club tonight?”   
“No, Abby, no fight club until I heal.”   
“I’m looking forward to climbing back in this bed with you.”   
“Me too.” 

The thoughts moved through Abby’s mind however, of the truth she knew about Marcus. She knew that at some point she would have to tell him that she knew about his father, the abuse and how Marcus had fought to get out of the situation. Not now, not when he was already dealing with so much. Instead, she took his hand when he reached for hers as they walked into the funeral home. 

To be continued…………………


	8. Chapter 8

The days passed slowly, Abby was with Marcus as he set up the funeral arrangements for his mother and she sat next to him, holding his hand at the funeral. The first two nights, she held him close to her. Holding him when he just wanted to be held and would make love to with him when Abby knew that it would bring him comfort.   
Abby went back to work the next week as did Marcus. Abby was thrown back into night shifts and she would have been lying if she were to have said that she didn’t miss the nights with Marcus. On the other hand, Marcus tried to stop fighting in the club. He hadn’t made that choice solely because of Abby, he made it because he knew how much his mother had loathed the idea of him being hurt. The nights were difficult without Abby, even more so when they were on completely different schedules. They didn’t even get to talk on the phone very often.   
Yet, the days passed and, on the weekends, they found themselves naked and in bed, tangled up and sweaty. Abby, at least started making it known that she would like to get it on days shifts. The truth was that she didn’t want to take the chance that her and Marcus would drift apart just after growing together. Marcus let it be known that he wanted to find other work, the banking game just wasn’t what he wanted to continue with. He told Abby that he much rather be doing something physical. 

A few weeks later, Marcus went to Jake with an idea. Jake jumped on board and just like that, the, ‘Kane & Griffin Security Protection’ was created. In fact, it took off at such a fast rate, that Marcus and Jake had to come up with at three reliable employees to hire to work in the field and another to answer phones. Marcus for one of the first times in his life, actually felt like a success. 

The weeks begin to pass and although Marcus and Abby didn’t have a whole lot of time together, they made the best of the time that they did have. Marcus would take Abby out to dinner and for walks around the lake as the summer sun begin to heat up their home town. He would kiss her neck as he hugged her from behind and then whisper to her just how much he missed her when she wasn’t around. Abby took time to learn new recipes and would make them for Marcus and then like she always wanted to do, she would take him by the hand and lead him to bed.   
It was when they were wrapped together in his bed, Abby’s back to Marcus’s chest when he had begun to speak softly to her.   
“You know, Abby, we could move anywhere we want. Nothing is holding us here.”   
“Marcus, I don’t want to leave Callie and I don’t believe for one second that you want to leave Jake.”   
“Well, what if we moved in together? I want a life with you. I don’t just want these brief moments.”   
She turned in his arms to face him. One of her hands gently landing on his cheek.   
“You want a life with me?”   
“Don’t you want one with me, Abby?”   
Although, she could see the love in his eyes, she also saw the immense fear. Abby knew that she wanted him not to be afraid.   
“I want everything with you, Marcus. I do, it is just that this all happened so fast and I wonder if you are going to feel this way a few months from now. Marcus, do you love me?”   
His dark eyes stared into hers. His silence made her feel the fear this time.   
“You don’t have to answer that, forget it, it is fine.”   
“Abby, stop!”   
“I shouldn’t have asked.”   
“Yes, you should have. You have every right to ask. You do.”   
So, with that, she stopped talking.   
“Abby, I wouldn’t be trying to get you to have a life with me if I didn’t have real feelings for you. I want to buy a house for you and me and maybe a dog. I want to celebrate birthdays with you and that alone is amazing because birthdays stopped being a big deal for me a long time ago.”   
Abby couldn’t help but think of the little boy who was taken out to the shed instead of receiving a bicycle when he was just so small. Once again, she let her fingers slide across his face.   
“Celebrate everything with me, Marcus. Yes, let’s get a house and a dog and let’s have a life together. I want to be the woman that gets to help you through this life.”   
He smiled at her before laying his lips on hers and rolling her onto her back.   
“I guess you want to start celebrating now, Marcus.”   
She grinned up at him. He smiled back at her.   
“I think we should celebrate over and over again.”   
“I like the way you think, Marcus Kane.” 

Two weeks later, they went out and started looking for houses. Marcus was adamant that they get something with a backyard while all Abby cared about was having a three-bedroom house with a decent size kitchen. It took about ten different houses before Marcus told Abby that he thought the one that they had seen that afternoon was the one for them. Just like that, they placed an offer. Ten hours later, they got the message that their offer was approved. Marcus picked Abby up and span her around before kissing her.   
Abby went to Callie and let her know that she would be moving out, Marcus put the Victorian house up on the market which worked out well when Jake and Callie themselves came to Marcus with an offer. Just like that, Abby and Callie were packing up the apartment that they had spent the last few years in. It was nice for the girls to have some time away from the guys as they spent some final days at the apartment before they both would be going to the Victorian house to spend the remaining fifteen days of escrow.   
Jake and Callie helped Marcus and Abby to paint the new house and landscape when it was time to move in. It took three months to fix up the house to the way that they had wanted it. Both Marcus and Abby were excited about this new start in life. On a Saturday morning, they began the newest part of everything and headed to the animal shelter. It was there they found a half German Shepherd and half lab puppy. They named her Chance, because that is what Marcus and Abby felt like their whole relationship had been so far, leaving it to chance. 

The weeks went by when an extreme flu bug hit the hospital, nearly fifty percent of the people on staff came down with it, sending most of them home until the sickness had passed, as a result, Abby ended up taking extra shifts. That is until a Friday night when she collapsed in the elevator and was found by Jackson. Abby was immediately rushed to the emergency room where and I.V. was started in order to be sure that she was hydrated.   
“She doesn’t have a fever.”   
Jackson yelled it over his shoulder to Dr. Green.   
“Alright, let’s keep her on the I.V., this could just be a case of exhaustion. Harper, can you call the family please?”   
“Callie is the listed as her emergency contact, I’ll have her paged, she is in the hospital.”   
“Thank you, get to it.” 

An hour later, Callie sat next to Abby and held her hand while Abby simply slept. Bloodwork was done and rushed to the lab. Those that worked with her was sure that this had to do with the fact that the woman that they all loved hadn’t been sleeping like she should since the flu epidemic had taken over.   
“Callie, did you get in touch with her boyfriend?”   
She shook her head slowly, “I called Jake, he said he would get in touch with Marcus. He was out in the field and normally leaves his phone in the truck. Jake will track him down.”   
Callie looked up at Dr. Green when he began to speak.   
“She is going to be fine, the labs so far look good. Don’t stress over this.”   
He squeezed her shoulder as she watched her friend. 

Marcus came running in about an hour later, he came to a stop as he stared down at the woman in the bed. She looked so small and almost fragile. He didn’t say a word as Marcus took her free hand into his. It felt like it took all his effort to lift her hand to his rough lips and lay a kiss to Abby’s knuckles. All he could think about was the fact that it was only mere months ago that his mother was in a hospital bed before she left this earth. He couldn’t handle the idea of Abby leaving him too.   
“Abby?”   
“Marcus, it is best to let her sleep.”   
“I need to know that she is alright.”   
He looked across the bed at Callie.   
“Marcus, where is Jake?”   
“He said he wanted to be sure that you were eating, he stopped to get you something.”   
Callie smiled and looked away, feeling a bit guilty for feeling happy over Jake doing something so kind for her.   
“What happened to her?”   
“She collapsed in the elevator, Dr. Green thinks and I agree that it is exhaustion.”   
Marcus only nodded before speaking softly.   
“Did they check her labs?”   
“Yes, everything looks good so far, they are waiting for some more labs to come back.”   
“Callie, I know she tells you everything, has she mentioned that she hasn’t been feeling good?”   
He looked so sad as he sat across from her.   
“Marcus, she hasn’t said anything to make me think something has been wrong.”   
It was clear that he didn’t quite believe her, he wanted to and yet, he was terrified. His gaze went back to Abby. The truth was that except for the fact that Callie and Marcus were holding her hands, she looked like she did when she slept at home in their bed. He stood up slowly and pushed the hair away from her face before leaning down and kissing her forehead. Marcus whispered into her ear where only the two of them would have been able to hear his words.   
“I love you, I should have told you before, I love you, Abigail.” 

The hours passed slowly before Dr. Green came back into the room. He gave a quick hello to Marcus, Callie and Jake as they kept watch over Abby. Normally only two people would be allowed in the room and yet, Abby’s friends who worked there weren’t about to argue with anyone.   
“I know that you guys have been waiting for some kind of news. Here is the good news, her labs look wonderful. Abby is a very healthy young woman. This next news needs to be given to Callie only since she is listed as the emergency contact.”   
Jake and Marcus quickly looked at Callie who felt placed in a difficult situation.   
“No, whatever news that you have to give, Marcus needs to hear.”   
“Very well. Marcus, you are about to be a father. Abby is pregnant.”   
The entire room went quiet.   
Marcus felt like everything inside of him began to freeze over. He felt like he couldn’t wrap his mind around it, there was just too much to make sense of.   
“Are you sure she is pregnant? Maybe you can rerun the tests.”   
Everyone focused on Marcus as he stood up slowly and let go of Abby’s hand. His eyes were only on her as he stared down at her.   
“Sir, I assure you that Abby is pregnant. We reran the tests twice just to be sure. You are going to be a father.”   
Marcus put his hands in his hair as he paced back and forth in the room. Jake and Callie looked at each other, a look from Jake told Callie to leave it alone. They watched as Marcus turned and stared at Abby, he moved to her quickly, almost harshly. He leaned down and touched his lips to her forehead before leaving the hospital room and remaining on the outside of it.   
“Ok, well, Callie, I’ll be giving you all further information.”   
She only nodded in response. 

When Abby awoke three hours later, she only had one question.   
“Where is Marcus?”   
Callie swallowed hard before answering softly.   
“He just outside. Abby get some rest and I will be right back.”   
“Callie, what on earth is going on?”   
Abby pushed the button that allowed the bed to come to a sitting position. She still looked tired, as if she could sleep for the next three days straight. The truth was that all Abby wanted to do was curl up into Marcus’s arms and do just that.   
“Don’t you worry your sweet little head, I’ll be right back.”   
“You’re being condescending, Callie.”   
“I’m not meaning to be. I’ll be right back. Jake and Marcus are out there, let me talk to them.”   
Callie stepped into the hallway where Jake was sitting in a chair and Marcus was leaning back against the wall, his arms crossed. He looked over at Callie with eyes that were almost unreadable.   
“Did she wake up?”   
“Yes, the mother of your child is awake.”   
“Callie!”   
Her eyes flew to Jake.   
“This is ridiculous, he can have a home with her, a dog and a life, but no children?”   
“You don’t understand, Callie.”   
This time she looked over at the man that her best friend was in love with.   
“Why don’t you explain it to me then?”   
He shook his head.   
“There are some things about me that not even Abby knows. I’m not going to discuss this with you.”   
“Well, perhaps you need to discuss it with her then, she is waiting to talk to you. In fact, the first question she had was when she wondered where you were.”   
“Callie, let’s get out of here for a few minutes.”   
“I don’t want to leave her.”   
“We are just going down to get some coffee.”   
Jake took a reluctant Callie towards the elevators. Marcus stood on the outside of the door and had to talk himself him into going into the room. 

Abby had her eyes closed as he stood in the doorway, she must have sensed him. Slowly her eyes came open. She smiled up at him before putting out her hand for him to come closer.   
“I’m the one in the bed and yet, you look like you need to rest.”   
He only nodded in response.   
“How are you feeling?”   
“Well, I don’t feel sick, no one will tell me what happened.”   
He moved to her then and took her outstretched hand in his.   
“You were so exhausted that you passed out in the elevator, Abby, I told you not to take so many shifts. You can hurt yourself, especially now.”   
Her eyes stayed on his as her eyebrows furrowed. Marcus sat down on the edge of the bed, his eyes still on hers.   
“Callie didn’t tell you why you need more rest?”   
It was all she could do to shake her head as fear filled her, so concerned was she that something was really wrong with her.   
“You are pregnant, Abby.”   
She smiled brightly as the tears filled her eyes, immediately her hands flew to her stomach as she wanted to feel closer to their child.   
“We’re going to have a child?”   
He shook his head, “No, you can have the child. Abby, I can’t be part of this.”   
It was clear that her heart was breaking in front of him and it did break his heart to see her that way.   
“Marcus, you have to be kidding. You would never leave me to raise this baby by myself.”   
“I can’t, Abby. I can’t.”   
With that he untangled his hand from hers where it had rested on her belly, he stood up slowly and walked to the door, he looked back at her and watched her in silence before leaving. 

Abby had to stay overnight for observation. The baby was fine and had a good heartbeat. For that the mom-to-be was extremely grateful. Marcus should be by her side, kissing her forehead and telling her how happy that he was that she was going to have his baby. Instead, he had left and now Abby had no idea where she stood with the man that she loved. There weren’t tears, no, in fact she refused to cry, no matter how much she wanted to. 

Marcus walked around the house in complete silence. He fed Chance, let her out to do her business. He took care of small things around the house and then sat on the couch and stared at the television, not bothering to watch any of it. Of course, his mind was on Abby and of course he loved her. Hadn’t she gotten him through a horrendous time? Hadn’t she been the woman that slept on the ground next to him and hadn’t she invited him naked into his bed when he was soaking wet? Yes, he loved the mother that would do a wonderful job of raising his child.   
However, there were things that Abby just didn’t know about his life, she wasn’t aware of the horrendous things that had happened to him. In fact, Abby didn’t know that he still thought about fight club, still ached to go back to it, in fact, Jake was still running it. He could go right now and he could walk down the steps into that basement and do what he had done for such a long time, it would make him feel better. Chance scratched at the door, Marcus got up to let her in. She looked up at him expectantly, Marcus knew that the sweet dog wanted to know where her mistress was.   
He walked down the wall and looked into the two empty bedrooms, Abby had never said what they were going to be for. He decided that he should have known all along that she would want to be a mother one day. What he knew without giving it much thought is that the woman that he had loved more than he had ever loved anyone would be a wonderful, generous and kind mother. Marcus knew that she would choose the room closest to the master bedroom. Abby would want to be able to get to their baby whenever the small child cried or so much as whimpered. 

Abby was released from the hospital the next morning at eleven. Callie drove her home when Abby’s calls to Marcus went unanswered. Although, Callie tried to talk, Abby didn’t have much to say. In the end, Callie left it alone, letting her friend deal with the feelings that she needed to work through. Abby felt her heart drop when Marcus’s truck wasn’t in the driveway even though it was a Saturday and he would normally be home.   
“Do you want me to come in with you, Abs?”   
“No, I need to do this on my own. I know he isn’t here. I’ll call you later.”   
“I love you, girl.”   
“Love you too.”   
“Jake and I will bring by your car later.”   
Abby only nodded in response. 

It was with a heavy heart that Abby used her key to open up the side door. Chance was scratching on the sliding glass door, slowly she moved to the door and let the dog into the house.  
“He’s not here, is he? I don’t think he is coming back.”   
Chance just looked up with sad eyes.   
Abby walked down the hallway and towards the room that she had been sharing with Marcus, the man she loved. Yet, she had never told him those words. The bed was made, as if it hadn’t even been slept in. Where did he sleep, had he eaten, was he ok? How weird that she would think about that even now when he was the one who had ripped out her heart.   
She stood in front of the closet and stared, terrified to open it. All too slowly, she moved to the closet and timidly reached out to touch it. Her hand was shaking as she pulled back the sliding door. Abby stood with her mouth open when the truth slapped her in his face.   
Abby fell to the floor, her palms on the wooden floor beneath her when she realized that all of his clothes were gone.   
Everything hurt, here she was pregnant, in love and completely alone. 

Marcus threw punch after punch, hitting the man in front of him over and over. 

 

To be continued……..


	9. Chapter 9

The days passed slowly as Abby dealt with the realization that Marcus wasn’t coming home. It should be a time when they were happy, when the father of her child should be touching her belly that hadn’t even begun to swell as he wrapped his head around the fact that together they had created a baby. Instead, it was Abby alone with her own hand upon her belly. She made promises to the unborn miracle that she would love that child enough for two parents.   
She wondered if it would be a boy or a girl, would he or she have her eyes or Marcus’s smile. The thoughts plagued her. There had been a time when she would be excited to get home at the end of the day and now she found herself dreading it. No one would even let her work extra hours, which she desperately needed in order to pay for the house that would now fall onto her shoulder. Abby thought about calling him, finding out just what the hell had happened and instead, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. No, it was true that there was a thin line between love and hate.   
Five days before the mortgage was due, Abby found a check in the mailbox. It was from Marcus and it didn’t have a stamp. Abby stared at it for a long time, she hadn’t even bothered to open it right away. No, it felt as if she had to take the time to prepare herself for whatever was inside, perhaps, a letter that explained just what the hell had taken place and why he had chosen to leave her and their baby.   
The thought of him being at the mailbox, made her sad. This had once been his home and now she wondered if he had only pulled up without even getting out in order to place the envelope inside. Abby made her way into the house that she had once shared with him, let the dog in and then sat at the dining room table that felt far too big. Carefully she opened up the envelope that had only her name scrawled on the front. Even seeing his handwriting made her ache for him and she didn’t want to feel anything when it came to him.   
So, carefully she opened the envelope, disappointment swept through her as she pulled the small piece of paper from the envelope. Abby could only stare at it, shocked by what was scrawled upon the folded piece of paper.   
‘Abby –   
Mortgage has been paid and will continue to be.   
Marcus’  
That was all he had to say to her. Yes, she should be relieved that he was taking care of the mortgage and she was grateful. However, where was the ‘sorry for breaking your heart?’ Where was the ‘I’m sorry for leading you on and making you think that I gave a damn.’ Where was the ‘I’m sorry I held you like you were the last woman on earth and I’m sorry for making you feel like you were my everything even as I knew full well that I was yours?’  
Abby cried as she sat there, not knowing how life would go from here on out. There was a part of her that wanted to call him and cry, beg and plead. However, there were some things that Abby would not do and begging a man to love her was not one of them. Yet, she sat at the dining room table that they had shared candlelight dinners at and cried as she held the envelope against her chest, damn it! She would never stop loving him and she knew it. 

Marcus could have stayed at Jake’s and in the end decided not to. He took his bag of belonging’s after fight club ended for the night and headed to a hotel. The bruises made him feel something and feeling something was a good thing. He stood at the window of the hotel room and stared out onto the city. He didn’t want to miss Abby, he knew he was doing the best thing possible for both her and their child.   
He wondered what her reaction was to receiving the note that he had left for her. Marcus had known full well that she wouldn’t call or even so much as text. Abby had made it clear more than once that she would never beg anyone for anything. It had been his choice to leave and yet, he wondered over and over again how she was doing. Asking Callie how Abby was had proven pointless, Callie could do no more than glare at him. Marcus knew that Abby and Callie had a special friendship and he should have known not to broach the subject.   
Even Jake had grown angry with Marcus. 

“You want to know how she is man? Well, you can take your ass home and ask her yourself. Look, I get that you have been through some shit, but, doing this to a woman like Abby? Man, you suck.”   
Marcus couldn’t even defend himself.   
“I just wanted to know how she was.”   
Jake had turned and faced Marcus in that moment.   
“She’s pregnant and the man she loves left her high and dry. How the hell do you think she is? Abby is broken and depleted and you did that to her.” 

Now, Marcus couldn’t do anything except to stare out the hotel window as Abby popped into his mind. He could almost see Abby as she would appear once their baby grew and begin to walk. Marcus could almost clearly see a little girl with dark hair like both of her parents, eyes just as shiny as her mother’s as the tiny little being ran into the arms of her mother. Abby would be over Marcus by then and she would pick up the little girl with pudgy arms as Abby laughed that throaty laugh. The one thing he knew for sure is that Abby would be the most amazing mom, never letting anyone hurt their baby. 

Marcus turned and walked slowly and gingerly before heading to the shower where he carefully pulled the clothes from his body and stepped into the hot shower. He stood under the shower head and let the almost scalding hot water cascade over his body. He wanted her, he missed her and he wondered if he would still ache for her when he was an old man, Marcus was sure that he would. No other woman could compare to her which is why he hadn’t even bothered to go out and get a one-night stand. 

He laid his head against the cool tile of the shower, it seemed to soothe him as he felt the days events wash over him. Marcus felt tired, right now, he missed the moments when he could curl up naked against Abby, his head upon her breasts as she let her fingers move through his hair and down his back, every so often squeezing his back and neck that sent chills over him. Abby would help him drift off into a peaceful sleep, in only the way that she was able to do. 

Marcus stepped out of the shower and pulled the large white towel from the rack and wrapped it around his waist, he walked into the other part of the bathroom with its two sinks and large mirror. Abby would have loved to have a weekend away to a place like this. He would have stood in a spot just like this and wrapped his arms around her before kissing her and taking her to bed. He laid the palms of his hands on the counter and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked like his father in certain ways and Marcus hated that about himself. 

To look in the mirror and see the monster that went out of his way to torment you, well, it was more than painful. Marcus could easily recall what it was like when the buckle of the belt hit his back and the searing pain that had been forced upon his body. There were times when his mother couldn’t protect him and there were other times when she could have and she didn’t. Marcus would never had called her out on it, not when she too was being beaten. What only he and his mother knew was that his father had beat his mother so badly, that in front of Marcus, she had had a miscarriage. The old man hadn’t even known that his wife was pregnant. 

The thought of anything happening to Abby or the baby was not something that Marcus could chance. It had been easier to leave, to walk away, and to know that he would never lay eyes upon his own child. Marcus would wait long enough for the baby to be born, to know if it was a boy or a girl and then he would leave town. His hope was that he could sell his share of the business and pay off Abby’s house. Then he could leave and they would be free and clear of him. Marcus stared at the cut above his right eye………

He had been seven when his father found out that Marcus had accidently peed his bed. Marcus had been having a nightmare that the man who should have loved him was coming after him with a knife and the little boy had been afraid. Out of sheer fear of the dream, he peed his bed. To his mother’s credit, she tried to clean it up without her husband finding out. Only the old man had woken up and saw her cleaning it. 

“You damn waste of space! What a baby! Do you need to go back to wearing diapers? Damn useless thing!”   
Marcus had said nothing, just sat on the floor in his clean pajama’s, half trying to hide behind his mama. His mother had begun to shake as she tried to protect her son who had been a bit too small for his age.   
“Please don’t get upset, it was only an accident.”   
“He was an accident, one we should have gotten rid of.”   
“That isn’t true, Marcus. I wanted you from the start.”   
He had stared up at his mom as she glanced down at him briefly.   
“Are you arguing with me in front of our son, Vera?”   
Quickly she tried to shake her head and explain and yet, the punch had come so quick that Vera fell and passed out across the bed. Marcus knew that he was going to get it. Immediately his eyes had welled up with tears as he put his small arms and hands in front of him to try to defend himself even though he knew it was a lost cause. His father stared down at him, a smirk across his lips as he stared down at the little boy that he knew he could easily have control over. Instead of watching his father, Marcus closed his eyes and tried desperately braced himself for the things that he knew would come.   
“Say you’re an accident.”   
Marcus felt his lip tremble as his back began to hurt as his body shook in fear. There was nothing left to do than to try and do what he could so that he wouldn’t be hit.   
“I’m an accident.”   
Then his father laughed, a quiet laugh as if he had already won his sick little game. This particular time he hadn’t hit his son, no, instead he kicked him across the face. Marcus’s world had immediately gone dark as he passed out on the floor.   
He came too as the sun began to come through the window, quietly and carefully he woke up his mother.   
The bruise his father had left him went from his forehead all the way down to the side of his chin. Marcus was only able to eat soft foods for over a week. Still, no one did anything to help him. 

He brushed his teeth and then climbed into the hotel bed, it was at night when he missed Abby the most. Never in his life had he missed the scent of a woman and now, he would do anything to feel her in his arms. He would like to touch her but, right now, he just wanted to hold her against him and fall asleep after telling her everything that had made him run. 

It was a month later when Abby began to show. It was only the tiniest of bumps and yet, to Abby it was proof that she was indeed carrying life inside of her. Once in awhile she would feel the smallest of flutters. The heartburn was insane and yet, the morning sickness had begun to subside and that made her feel relieved. Today was an appointment day and that broke her heart that her best friend would be going with her instead of the man that she had created this child with.   
Abby held Callie’s hand as the picture of the baby popped up on the screen. A cream colored little thing who seemed to be suckling on nothing. The 3-D image was astounding. Abby couldn’t take her eyes off the screen. Although, she wouldn’t say it to the two people in the room, she thought that her tiny little baby looked like Marcus and something inside her chest began to hurt. 

A month later, Abby had to go clothes shopping. With Marcus still paying the mortgage, Abby had begun to put money away. The truth was that she would have to pay for child care in only a few months’ time and there was so much to think about. Not to mention that she had wanted to get started on the nursery. Luckily, Jake and Callie offered to help paint and decorate. They also started planning for the baby shower which Abby was really excited about. A gender reveal party. 

Only Jake knew the sex of the baby, he would set up the details on how to reveal it. He wouldn’t even break for Callie, she tried everything to find out. On the big day, Jake set up fireworks which would go off in the middle of the street. Abby and Callie stood together, holding hands as they stared up at the night sky, waiting to find out what Abby would be having. Neither knew that a block away, Marcus was in his truck, he too wanted to know what his child would be. Jake had told him his plans with the fireworks. The fireworks went off, they were all blue, purple and green. Abby smiled thinking of the little boy growing within her. Marcus cried silently. 

People congratulated Abby over and over again on the son that would be coming into the world. When the guests begin to leave that night, Abby was looking forward to going to bed. She felt exhausted, growing a human life could have that kind of effect on someone.   
“You alright?”   
Callie rubbed her hand across her friends back as Jake took it upon himself to lock up.   
“I’m just tired, I’m looking forward to taking a shower and putting on some pajamas and crawling into bed.”   
“Do you need anything before we go?”   
Abby loved that Callie was so sincere.   
“You guys paid for everything, you set up and you cleaned up. Not to mention Jake’s gender reveal. No, I’m perfect. Go and spend some time with your man.”   
It was easy to see the sadness in Callie’s eyes.   
“You know, Abby, one day you will fall in love again.”   
Abby shook her head.   
“Maybe one day I will meet someone, however, I will never love anyone the way that I loved him. Callie, I don’t ever think that I’ll get past him. It was like he came out of nowhere and overtook my life even before I could blink and then just as quickly he was gone.”   
“Maybe it wasn’t love then, Abby. Love shouldn’t hurt like that.”   
She looked at Callie, her eyes set on her friend.   
“It was love, I know how it was, the things he said and did. This house. I can’t fathom why he is still paying the mortgage or why he hasn’t so much as bothered to call to check on this baby or me for that matter. No one will ever be able to convince me that he didn’t love me. He must have. I know that he must have. I can’t talk about him anymore. I’m trying so hard to forget and live in such a way that it was like Marcus Kane was never here.”   
“I love you, Abby.”   
With that Callie put her arms around her friend and hung on to her.   
“I love you too. Now, go home and spend some time with Jake. He’s been watching you all day.”   
Callie knew it to be true.   
“I’ll call you tomorrow. We have to go and spend those gift cards for baby.”   
That was something that Abby was looking forward to. 

Abby stepped out of the shower and dried off before taking the time to put on lotion. It felt good to slip on the nightgown. All she wanted to do now was to slip into bed, watch a television show before falling into a deep and restful sleep. Just as she pulled back the covers, she heard the knock at the front door, the dog began to whine which wasn’t like her. 

Slowly and carefully, Abby took her phone and slowly made her way down the hall and towards the front door, perhaps, someone had forgotten something at the party. She tried not to think of all the dangerous things that could take place. Abby stepped closer to the door and stared out the peephole. No longer was she afraid, no, she was angry. Abby flung open the front door and glared.   
“What the hell are you doing here?”   
The dog bounded out and jumped on Marcus, crying and thrilled to see him. Abby tried not to let the scene get to her. Marcus pet the dog, apparently, he had missed her as much as she missed him. Slowly he looked back up at Abby, his eyes sad.   
“I just wanted to drop off something for the baby.”   
“We don’t need anything from you.”   
Marcus could clearly see the hurt etched all over her face.   
“You have every right to hate me, please, just except these two things.”   
Abby crossed her arms, not realizing that it pulled the nightgown together over her belly. Marcus couldn’t help but stare at the baby bump of his child. Abby quickly dropped her arms.   
“Well, what is it?”   
He gave her a nod before he moved to the front of the porch and slid a large box into the house. Abby could see what it was and yet, she said nothing.   
“It’s a crib. I just wanted to make sure I gave you something that would help. It turns into a toddler bed later on so when he gets older, he can use it too.”   
“How the hell do you know what I am having?”   
He let out a sigh.   
“I knew about the firework reveal, I was sitting a block away.”   
Abby said nothing to that, her heart was hurting. She watched as he stepped back out on the porch and came back in with two-wheel bike with training wheels in the back. It was black, red and green. It was suck a boy’s bike. Abby wanted to cry. Marcus set the bike down with all the other gifts in the front room. Marcus walked back to the front door, he put his hands in his pockets and shrugged.   
“Every little boy deserves a bike.” His words came out in a whisper.   
The woman he had left behind stared at him as her eyes filled up with tears.   
“Well, what the baby needs is a father. However, since he resigned from the job, I suppose these things will have to do.”   
“I’m sorry, Abby. I only did what I knew was best.”   
“No, you ran. You ran. I know about your wish when you were little for a bike, I know that on your birthday that son of a bitch took you to the shed instead to teach you a lesson and I know that you dealt with more than your fair share as a child.”   
Marcus stared at her, his eyes wide.   
“I don’t know what you think you know……”   
She didn’t give him a chance to finish.   
“I know because your mother told me before she died. I love you and you destroyed me. You found out about this child and you ran from both of us.”   
“I can’t hurt the baby. I won’t stay and do what he did and for that reason I can’t stay.”   
Abby’s mouth fell open as she stared at him. Her hand came up and pointed at him.   
“No! you don’t get to use your past as an excuse! Don’t you dare do that to me. Marcus Kane, I wanted you, the broken, depleted part of you as much as I wanted the witty, kind and generous man. I wouldn’t have run out on you and yet, I wasn’t worth staying for. Our child wasn’t worth staying for? How is he supposed to deal with that? I won’t cover for you, Marcus. I won’t do it. You want out of this? Then go! You can leave. I won’t beg you, I haven’t even called you. I told you months ago that I would never beg you stay if you ever wanted to leave.”   
He watched as the tears began to fall down her face.   
“You left me, Marcus. I came home and your clothes were gone. I had just found out that I was carrying your child and what did you do to me? You ran from me. I love you and you never loved me at all. I was so sure that I heard you say you love me in the hospital and now, it just doesn’t make sense. How? How could you have done this to me? How?”   
Marcus kept his eyes on her.   
“I don’t want to be the man, the father who would hurt his child.”   
“Liar!”   
With that she lunged him, her fists hitting him in the chest.   
“How could you leave us! How could you hurt me this way? How could you leave me in this house all alone? He’s your baby too and you left us!”   
When he spoke, his voice was soft and low.   
“It is because I love you that I walked away. What if I’m like him? The fight club thing, I just don’t want to hurt my child.”   
Yet, her fists just kept hitting his chest, not causing him in real pain. He let her continue, knowing that he deserved this from her. 

To be continued……….


	10. Chapter 10

“I don’t want to be the man, the father who would hurt his child.”   
“Liar!”   
With that she lunged him, her fists hitting him in the chest.   
“How could you leave us! How could you hurt me this way? How could you leave me in this house all alone? He’s your baby too and you left us!”   
When he spoke, his voice was soft and low.   
“It is because I care about you that I walked away. What if I’m like him? The fight club thing, I just don’t want to hurt my child.”   
Yet, her fists just kept hitting his chest, not causing him any real pain. He let her continue, knowing that he deserved this from her.  
He stood there, looking at her as the tears fell from her eyes, her fists going at him over and over again. There were a thousand things that he should have said and, in the moment, he couldn’t think of one damn thing to say to the woman that he created a child with.   
Then she shocked him by slumping against him, her hands splayed out on his chest as if she would push away from him any second. Abby sobbed, her heart clearly broken as Marcus placed his hands upon her shoulders.   
“I shouldn’t have come.”   
“You shouldn’t have left.”   
They both stood quietly, his hands shaking upon her shoulders as Abby tried to bring her breathing under control.   
“I’m so tired.”   
She hadn’t even wanted to tell him that much and yet, it felt so normal for her body to be against his as Abby looked for comfort. Abby should have been shocked by his next move and instead she was just too tired to care.   
“You need sleep, Abby.”   
Then he picked her up and carried her down the hall. By the time he reached the bedroom that he had once shared with her, Abby was asleep in his arms. He held her for a long moment, looking down at her swollen belly and wondering if this would be the only time that he would be this close to his child. With a heavy heart, he laid her down on the bed where apparently, she had been lying before. It had been the spot that had once been his.   
Marcus didn’t cover her up right away, he couldn’t help but stare at the belly where his son was growing within her. He wondered what Abby would tell their son about him. It wasn’t something that Marcus even wanted to think about, he just wanted his child to be safe. Slowly, he reached out his hand and laid it upon Abby’s belly, she didn’t so much as move as he held his hand against her. The baby moved, Marcus stared up at Abby’s face wondering if that would wake her up, she didn’t even change her breathing. Marcus smiled wondering if his son somehow knew that his father was there. 

When Abby woke up a few hours later, Marcus was sitting in the bedroom in a kitchen chair that he must have carried down the hall, his head was slumped down on his chest, one arm was stretched out and his hand was upon hers. There was a brief moment where she wanted to pull her hand away. In the end, she didn’t, it wasn’t a lot of warmth and yet, it was enough to appease her.   
There was so much anger in her when it came to the man sitting across from her. The other part of that truth was that she also knew that this man sitting so close was the love of her life. Abby was shocked to see him sitting there, she didn’t want to think about the reasons that he hadn’t left after he carried her to bed, it would only make her heart hurt in the end when he made up an excuse to leave.   
Abby watched and listened as Marcus let out a sigh and then slowly begin to stretch. She didn’t say a word, she merely braced herself for the escape that he would make. Then his dark eyes were on hers. They stared at one another for a long moment.   
“I don’t know what to say to you, Abby. There are so many things that I should say and I know that none of them would be good enough.”   
“Marcus, just for tonight, can you just lay in this bed with me?”   
He was shocked by the request and still he knew that he wouldn’t deny her. Marcus didn’t say anything, Marcus simply stood up and watched while Abby scooted into her old spot, when he slipped into the bed, he laid on his back and didn’t so much as reach for her. He wanted to feel her head against his chest one more time, yet, he was too terrified to reach for her.   
They laid in silence, Marcus had turned the television off while Abby slept and after he felt their baby kick.   
Finally, he turned his body and looked at her. She looked exhausted still, yet, her beauty was still radiant.   
“You need to sleep.”   
She nodded.   
“Put your arm around me, Marcus.”   
It was easy for her to see how he almost looked pained by the request. It was a stupid thing to ask. Instead of saying another word, Abby turned over so that he wouldn’t see the tears that she knew would come. Abby wanted to ask him if there was someone else, it was the answer that terrified her. In the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do it for Abby loved him far too much.   
The movement on the bed made her hold her breath, she wondered if he was going to leave and instead she felt his chest press up against the back of her. Abby couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Marcus moved her hair as he tucked his face into the hollow of her neck in the same way he always had when they laid like this.   
His breath danced upon her skin and she was helpless not to touch him. With her right hand, she reached back and slid her long fingers into his thick hair. Marcus let out a deep sigh when he felt her nails scrape across his scalp.   
“You should be in this bed every night, holding your child and I to you. I don’t know everything that man did to you, he had no right to hurt you. The worst part Is knowing that I can’t convince you to stay with us.”   
He said not a word as he slid one arm around Abby as he put a hand on her belly. The feel of his fingertips through the cotton seemed to fill her with warmth. Abby wished she could ignore the chills that moved over her and through her at his slightest touch.   
Marcus held his breath as she took his hand and slid it under her nightgown and laid it against her bare belly.  
“Abby……”   
It was the way he said her name, she could hear the shock, the longing, the sadness, pain, and she was sure that she heard the love, all in the mere sound of her name.   
“I just need to feel you, Marcus.”   
“I’m here.”   
With that he pressed himself tighter to her, confused that she would even allow this. Marcus pressed his lips against her neck, not able to stop the feelings that had been welling up inside of him since he saw her in the doorway. When she moaned, he felt himself growing hard and yet, wasn’t sure just how far things should go.   
“Marcus, please, I need you. I’ve missed you in this bed, in our home and your body moving with mine.”   
His moan was low and husky. He wasted no time sliding his right hand from her stomach and up to where her breasts had swelled with the pregnancy. Marcus was gentle as he ran the pad of his thumb over her nipple, bringing it to an instant peek.   
Abby moved her rump back and rubbed it against him, feeling that he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He groaned when she rotated herself against his erection that desperately needed to be freed. Yet, she didn’t stop. Suddenly, his hand was gone from her breast and moved back to undo the jeans that were restricting him. Abby licked her lips when she heard the zipper come undone. There was rustling and she realized quickly that he had also removed his shirt.  
He reached for her gently and tugged on her arm. Abby turned around and faced him. Marcus was naked, she let her eyes run over him with the hunger that she had always felt for the man lying next to her.   
Then he reached out and let his fingers caress her face, Abby leaned into his touch. Her hand covering his as Abby’s eyes closed, Marcus could have lost his breath in that moment. He leaned forward and touched her lips with his, Abby moaned into him.   
“I miss you.”   
Her words came out like a confession, something she didn’t want to admit even though she already had. Marcus rolled her onto her back and kissed her as if he would never have another chance to pour every part of him into her. This was his way to convey to her just how much it had hurt to walk away from her and their son.   
He slid his right hand down her body and onto to her leg, he moved back down her body. Marcus couldn’t seem to help it as he squeezed her with all the pent-up need that he had been holding back since he had walked away from her. She moaned beneath him and Marcus wanted to push into her immediately and yet, he held back, wanting her to love every moment of their time together, both knowing it would be the last time. When his mouth moved from her leg to her swollen belly, Marcus simply laid his forehead against her stomach. Abby felt the emotion well up inside of her as she held his head against her, this was their child that they created in a moment just like this. There was a part of her that wanted to beg him never to leave and yet, the other part of her wanted this moment. When they were last together, she had never expected that they would end up apart. Now, she just wanted to simply hold him against her for at least a little while. Marcus kissed her belly and Abby knew the kiss wasn’t sensual, he was giving the kiss to his unborn child. Then he began to move again,   
The chills moved through her as he pushed the nightgown up her body, slowly. His mouth followed, he kissed her body as he moved the garment over her head.   
“Are you sure that this is safe, Abby?”   
“The baby will be fine.”   
“And you? Will you be fine too? I don’t want to hurt you.”   
“Its too late for that, Marcus.”   
He knew what she meant and so he said not a word in response and instead kissed her, wishing he could tell her all the things that had gone through his mind the last few months.   
Abby wanted to memorize every moment with him, the way it felt to be in the strength of his arms, the way it felt when his chest moved against hers, the way Marcus would pull one of her legs around his hips as he moved within her. Abby was sure that if she could just hang on to every single moment with him then maybe the lonely nights wouldn’t hurt so bad. Maybe her heart could live with nothing but the mere memory of him. There was so much to be said and yet, Abby knew that if she pushed, he would run even farther than he had before.   
Even as his lips trailed across her neck and she lay naked before him as the warmth of his body was pressed against hers, Abby knew that having this last moment with him was so utterly stupid and yet, she didn’t even care.  
Would she go back and change that first moment that she saw him? That moment in the kitchen or when Abby checked his ribs for in those beginning moments with him? Would she change lying on the floor in the basement with him or the fact that she had thrown her own body over his in order to protect him? And would she change the moment when he had first climbed naked, broken and depleted into her bed as she held his broken soul against her complete one? Even as she thought about it, Abby knew that she would do it all over again even as it was now her that owned a shattered soul, one that he had given her. Yet, Marcus had also given her a child and if that was all she would keep of him, then she would do her job well.   
Abby cupped his face and stared up at him, his dark eyes, glazed over with want and need as he gazed back at her.   
“Marcus, I was so sure that you loved me. I was sure of it in the same way that I need air to live or in the same way that I know I need this baby. You never said it and then when I was in the hospital, I was so sure that you had whispered it to me. I don’t know how I could have been so wrong, Marcus……”   
The tears filled her eyes again as her fingers trembled against his face, there was little he could do. Marcus watched her with his own half-destroyed heart.   
“I thought you loved me, Marcus.” Her voice was a broken whisper and she was completely vulnerable beneath him.   
Marcus moved both his hands onto the sides of her head, his fingers slipping into her hair, his body firmly pressed against her.   
When he spoke, his voice cracked. Tears were in his own eyes.   
“Oh, Abby, I do love you. I love both of you, more than my own life.”   
Then he could think of nothing else to do except to kiss her. He felt as Abby’s arms slipped around his body, her hands clutching to her back.   
Marcus spread her legs and then slowly pushed into her. Abby gasped as she allowed her head to fall back against the pillow. He moved carefully, so afraid that he would hurt the baby. Never had they made love so slowly and yet, it was utterly perfect.   
Although, he had declared his love, she still knew that he would leave and he knew that too.   
Abby held on to him with all her might as if she could imprint him forever on her body.   
She didn’t want to allow the feeling he gave her to overtake her right away, she wanted the moment to last.   
Marcus wanted to let go, it had been so long since he had been with her. He also knew she was hanging on for a purpose. Yet, he wouldn’t call her out on it. In an effort to not let go too soon, he withdrew his body from hers while Abby groaned in protest. He slid his hand between her legs and pushed two fingers within her while his thumb moved around the small hardened area. This gave him the ability to watch her as her eyes drifted closed and her heavy gasps and moans filled the room. That alone could have made him lose control and yet, he bit his bottom lip and had to force his head down to her breast, if he didn’t watch her, it would help him to hold out.   
“Marcus, I’m……….so……..”   
In the end she couldn’t finish saying the words that he knew were on her lips. He moved his hand a little faster as he moved his mouth to her other breast. He loved the differences in her body and knew that if he was still sharing this house with her, that he would want to make love to her as often as possible. Abby was a beautiful woman and yet, something about her being pregnant was absolutely breathtaking.   
Suddenly, she fisted her hand into his hair as her back arched off the bed, his name tumbling from her lips quick and hard. Only then did he raise his head up to look at her as she gave into the feeling that they both knew only Marcus could give to her.   
It was then that he pushed back into her, still keeping the waves of his body steady and slow as Abby began to moan again almost immediately.   
“I’ve missed you, Abby.”   
She wanted to stop and look at him and ask him never to leave. Instead she squeezed her hands onto the skin of his back, clutching Marcus to her. He too was squeezing her hip as if he was never going to let her go and the truth was that she didn’t want him to ever let go. There was a part of him that never did want to leave this moment with her.   
Abby came even harder the second time, then she watched him as his eyes dropped closed and he gave in as she held him close to her.   
He stayed within her, not allowing his body to leave hers right away, knowing that when he broke away, he would have been inside her for the last time.   
“Abby, do you still want me to stay?”   
“Please don’t leave, not yet.”   
It was only then that he did pull out of her, both feeling the separation and all it meant immediately. Marcus rolled onto his back and into the spot that he had laid in a hundred times before.   
“Come here.”   
He said it softly to her. Abby turned onto to her side and laid her head on his chest. Marcus kept one arm around her as his free hand rested on her naked belly. Their eyes were both cast down to the spot where his hand lay. Abby laid her hand over his and together they stayed like that.   
“I hope one day you will understand.”   
She shook her head against him.   
“You must have known that at some point, I would have ended up with your child growing within me. Had you always planned to run?”   
“I never really thought that you would get pregnant. I mean logically, I should have known that it could have happened but, I was just so busy being happy that I didn’t ever think that you would one day have my baby.”   
“Yet, here we are, Marcus. You don’t have to run.”   
“And then what? What happens if I hurt the baby?”   
“It doesn’t make sense, Marcus. You love me and you love the baby. I don’t think your dad ever loved anyone and I doubt that he ever held your mother kindly. If you were like your father then how come you have never raised a hand to me?”   
“Abby, I’m so afraid to take a chance.”   
“It isn’t your fault, the things that happened to you.”   
“What exactly did my mother tell you?”   
“Marcus, she told me that your father was not a good guy. Told me about the first time that he hurt you and that you were just barely bigger than a baby…….”   
Her voice cracked as she said it, the thought of Marcus being hurt quite like that destroyed her. Out of instinct, Marcus held her even tighter.   
“Abby, it was a long time ago.”   
“If you really believed that, then you wouldn’t have run from me and your baby. Marcus, is there nothing that I could say to convince you to stay with us?”   
“I don’t know, Abby.”   
“Aren’t you the least bit curious what he will look like, which one of us he will favor? Don’t you want to see him when he gets on that bike for the first time?”   
Marcus moved carefully and raised himself on his elbow so that he was looking down at the woman beside him.   
“I wish I knew for sure how I would be with a child, I’ve never really been around them. Abby, it is because of my love for both of you that I am striving to protect the both of you.”   
Abby reached up and laid one hand against his face.   
“I know that you would never hurt us. I know it with everything that I am, Marcus. I would have spent the rest of my life loving you. One day, you will look back and regret the moment that you left us behind.”   
“Perhaps, but what I won’t regret is the fact that I never laid a hand on our child.”   
“If you were so awful then how come you haven’t laid an angry hand on me?”   
“I like to fight, Abby. It is all I’ve ever known.”   
She shook her head.   
“And still, you haven’t hurt me physically. I know that I can’t beg you to stay and I won’t. Marcus, just hold me and let me sleep. I hope it doesn’t take you too terribly long to come to your senses. We’ll be waiting for you but, not forever, Marcus.”   
He stared down at her, knowing that one day a man would come along and take the place that had belonged to him.   
They held on to each other as they both drifted off into sleep. 

Abby woke as the sun broke through the window. The spot beside her was empty, it wasn’t even warm from his body heat anymore. Already she missed him and ached to have him back beside her. 

To be continued……………


	11. Chapter 11

Abby was at work when everything changed, it was two days after the night Marcus had showed up at her house. She had been standing at the nurse’s station, speaking with Harper when the cramp hit, it was painful and sharp. Abby grabbed her belly as if that alone could keep her baby safe. Then in a quick moment, the fluid that had been surrounding her son was on the floor between her feet. Harper jumped up quickly.   
“Your water broke.” She said it more to herself than to Abby who suddenly looked pale. Harper ran back around the desk and picked up the phone.   
“We need a gurney now, Abby’s water broke, Jackson. Have Raven call the maternity ward. Yes, I’m with her.”   
Abby couldn’t even speak, she was a doctor after all and there was no denying what she was about to face. It seemed like the minutes took hours until the gurney came. Two orderlies were there. Harper said kind and positive things that Abby couldn’t even comprehend, not in that moment anyhow. 

She was being willed to maternity and yet, the walls and pictures of babies seem to be a haze that Abby couldn’t make it. There was liquid on her legs and she didn’t know if it was from the water breaking or if it could be blood, she was too terrified to look. The hot tears couldn’t be hidden as they slid down her cheeks.   
“I’m here, Abby.”   
When Callie’s voice was heard, Abby broke down completely.   
“I can’t lose my baby.”   
“Hey, we are not thinking about that right now. No, right now we focus on getting you and the baby the help that you need.”   
“Who is coming to help me?”   
“Dr. Lee, she just delivered a baby and is headed this way now. What can I get you, Abby?”   
Abby shook her head, “I need mine and Marcus’s child to be ok.”   
“Dr. Lee is going to work on that.”   
“Abby, Hi. Let’s see what we can do. Get her into delivery, room four.”   
The orderlies took her in, Callie right beside the gurney. The orderlies left and Abby had to change into a hospital gown then climbed into the bed.   
“Can Callie stay with me?”   
Dr. Lee shook her head as she put on gloves, a nurse was hooking Abby up to a machine to monitor the baby.   
“Of course, she can. Abby, are you having any cramps?”   
“A few.” Abby couldn’t even say it without her voice cracking.   
“I’m going to check you.” With that, Dr. Lee felt to see if Abby was dilated.   
Callie held Abby’s hand in comfort and support. Dr. Lee took off her glove and threw it in the trash before walking back to Abby.   
“The situation is that you are dilated to six, we can’t really come back from that. Abby, there is a good chance that you are going to have to deliver this baby.”   
Immediately Abby shook her head, “How can he survive this early? Please, I don’t want to lose this baby. I just can’t.”   
Dr. Lee placed her hand on Abby’s shoulder, “We are going to do everything in our power to protect and care for this baby. There have been babies that have survived coming even earlier.”   
Abby looked up at the doctor, her chin trembling as she spoke, “He will be three months premature.”   
“Yes, however, technology has come so far. Hope is everything, Abby. Hang on to it. I’m going to step out for only a minute and I’ll be back in.”   
“What can I get you, Abby?”   
Abby looked up at Callie, “I need him. Call him.”   
“Abby…..”   
“I don’t have to explain myself or my feelings to anyone, especially now. Call Marcus. I need him. He has to be here with me and his baby.”   
Callie simply nodded, she didn’t agree and yet, she would not deny the woman in the hospital bed. 

Marcus was at work; the sun was beating down at him even as the day was coming to an end. The thoughts of Abby from the other night went through his mind over and over again. He should call, he should say something to her and he should at least make her feel like it mattered because it did. One of his men asked him about how to lay the newest rocks that had just been dropped off to the customer’s backyard. Marcus was answering the question as his cellphone began to ring, he ignored it, letting it go to voicemail. It was only when it immediately began ringing again that he answered it quickly.   
“Hello?”   
“Marcus, are you still on the job?”   
There were certain things about Jake that revealed quickly what kind of mood he was in. Right now, Jake was anxious.   
“Yes, another couple hours to go if we want to complete the job tomorrow.”   
“Marcus, I need you to leave there and go ahead and get to the hospital.”   
“Why?” Marcus could feel his own heart began to speed up.  
“It’s Abby. Callie called, I don’t know all the details. Just get there.”   
“Is Callie with her? She’s isn’t alone right?”   
“No, but, she wants you to be there. It was her that asked for you to be called.”   
“I’m on my way.” 

The contractions were getting stronger, Abby groaned, one hand still on her belly as the other held the railing of the bed.   
“Where is he?”   
Called laid a cool cloth on Abby’s forehead.   
“Jake talked to him, he’s coming. Marcus was on a job, Abby.”   
“I don’t think he is going to make it in time. The baby wants to get here.”   
Dr. Lee came back in the room, this time a nurse with her who helped Dr. Lee put on a blue protective covering, a mask and gloves. Abby knew it what it meant and still, it scared her. Dr. Lee looked sympathetic as she stepped towards her patient.   
“Abby, I’ve told you that there was a chance that we would not be able to stop labor, we are at that point now. The baby is coming, Abby.”   
“Abby?”   
Suddenly, Marcus was standing in the room, dressed in a yellow protective covering. He ignored the looks from Callie as he moved to Abby. He ran the pad of his thumb over her cheek as the tears began to fall again. Her eyes were on his.   
“The baby is coming, they couldn’t stop the labor.”   
“Abby….”, he said it so softly, the hand that was wiping away her tears were now in her hair as he kept his voice low, “You are going to be a great mom and you have been since you found out that this baby was coming. You just do what they tell you right now and I’ll be here with you as you give birth to our son.”   
“I’m sorry, we can only have one person in the room with her.”   
“I’ll go so Marcus can be with you.”   
Callie made a point to glare at Marcus before leaving the room.   
“I wanted you here.”, she whispered the words to Marcus.   
He bent down and kissed her forehead, “I’m here, Abby.”   
“Alright, we are going to get started. We are going to take the baby immediately. Do you both understand that?”   
Abby nodded as once again her chin trembled. Her heart was breaking, she had always imagined holding him within moments after him being born. She had wanted to look at his face, to run a finger over his baby fine hair, to count all his fingers and toes. Now, he would be held by someone else first as they checked him, he wouldn’t be feeling the warmth of his mother or hearing the voice of his father.   
“Overall, it should be an easy birth, considering that he will be on the smaller side. Are you ready, Abby?”   
“Yes.”   
She reached for Marcus’s hand who took it quickly.  
“You are dad?”   
Dr. Lee addressed Marcus who nodded.   
“Yes.”   
“Ok, I want you to put one hand around her back and help her into a sitting position every time she pushes, then she can lay back down. Have you done Lamaze training?”   
He felt embarrassed as he had to answer honestly. Slowly he shook his head, “No.”   
“Alright, well, this will be a crash course for next time.”   
He didn’t respond to that, he put one arm around the mother of his child, while his right hand held hers.   
“Abby, on the count of three, you are going to push, Marcus help her up.”   
Marcus held her as Abby cried as she pushed.   
“Good, Abby. You did well, rest and we will push again in a minute.”   
She laid back and took her time catching her breath. It seemed like only seconds passed when Dr. Lee spoke again, “On the count of three.”   
Marcus pushed her back up, “You can do this, Abby.” He buried his face in her hair, holding her in place as she grunted.   
“Good, Abby. I can see the head. You are really close.”   
“He shouldn’t be born yet.” She was looking up at Marcus as she said it.   
“I know, but, you are doing great and they are going to take great care of him.”   
“I want to be the one to take care of him.”   
He could do little more than nod, “I know.”   
“Alright, let’s go.”   
With that, Abby pushed and she felt the baby leave her body. He wasn’t crying.   
“He’s not crying! Marcus! He isn’t crying!”   
She could see the fear on Marcus’s face, he was staring at Dr. Lee who was transferring the baby to a clear basinet.   
Together Marcus and Abby watched as an oxygen mask was placed on their tiny little boy who had been no bigger than the doctor’s hand.   
“Alright, you got this little guy.” The doctor spoke softly to the baby. Abby watched as Marcus walked closer to his son and stared at him over the Dr. Lee’s shoulder.   
“Why does his skin look like that?”   
Dr. Lee glanced back at the new father, “His skin is underdeveloped as well, we are going to try not to touch him too much. As he gets a little older, you will be allowed to reach into the incubator to touch him. Marcus could hear Abby crying, he was torn between staying here with his son and running back to her. He leaned forward without touching the tiny little baby and whispered.   
“You have to keep fighting, your mama cannot be without you. You fight and we will be right there beside you.”  
He took a quick picture of him so that Abby would be able to see his precious, tiny face.   
“We have to take him to NICU.”   
Abby’s crying grew louder, Marcus moved back to her, this time sitting on the bed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her as she put her face against his chest.   
The doctor and nurse slowly moved the baby pass Abby’s hospital bed, she only was able to see him briefly. As they left the room, she broke apart against Marcus. 

It wasn’t until several hours later when Dr. Lee came into the room. Abby had fallen into a restless sleep against Marcus. He continued to rub her back regardless, trying his best to comfort her and to be there for both her and the baby. When Dr. Lee stepped into the room, Abby slowly sat up.   
“How is he?”   
“That little boy is a fighter. He is on an I.V. for nutrients and so that we could give medicine when we need to. There will be some medicine given to help develop his lungs, we placed him on a ventilator until his lungs develop a bit more. We also had to place pads over his eyes.”   
Abby put her face in her hands, she knew the doctor had more to say and yet, needed time to wrap her mind around the information that she had just been given. Marcus kissed the top of her head as he pulled her back to him.   
“How much does he weigh?” Marcus said it while being choked up.   
“Baby boy Kane weighs two pounds, three ounces and in nine and a half inches long. He is sleeping now, however, if you both would like to see him, it would be ok.”   
Abby nodded, yet, it was Marcus that spoke. “Yes, we’d like to see our son.”   
“I thought you might, I’ll call for a wheelchair.” 

Twenty minutes later, they were being escorted to the NICU. Dr. Lee was beside them.   
“Abby, it will be awhile before you can hold him, however, you should talk to him as much as possible so that he gets use to your voice. The nurses will be giving you a lot of tips. Follow everything that you are comfortable with.”   
She only nodded, her only focus was to be able to lay eyes on her son. Abby had seen the picture of him on Marcus’s phone and yet, she needed to see him for herself. They stopped outside double doors, she watched as Marcus knelt down beside her.   
“Are you ok?”   
“I just need to see our baby.”   
“I know and you will. I’ll be with you the whole time.”   
“They are ready for us.”   
Marcus pushed the wheelchair into the room that had seven other babies in the room. Their child was the first one on the left. A little blue card had him listed with his birth weight.  
“I’m Monty, I’ll be the nurse for him tonight. I’ll be giving you a piece of material, sleep with it tonight and then we will place it in with your son tomorrow, this will help him feel more comfortable if he can have your scent with him.”   
Abby could only nod.   
“We will also be asking you to pump so that we can feed him, this will help him develop.”   
“Ok.”   
Monty kneeled down and looked at Abby, he would look up at Marcus from time to time as well.   
“I give you my word that we will be doing our very best to give your son the best care possible.”   
“Thank you.” Abby cried as she said it.   
“Go ahead and see your son now.”   
Marcus pushed Abby up to the incubator that housed the baby. Abby cried as she saw the ventilator and all the tubes that were hooked to him. She watched as Marcus moved to the head of the incubator, he looked down at his son. Neither knew what to say as they watched his tiny chest rise and fall. In the end, it was Marcus who moved back to the front of the hard-plastic home for his son. He knelt down to the little hole where he would one day be able to reach in and hold his child’s hand.   
“Hi there….”   
His voice cracked as he tried speaking to his son.   
“I know that I haven’t been around, I’m here now though. I’ll be here a lot with you. You don’t have to be scared because you aren’t going to be alone. Someone will be right here next to you all the time. I know that you can’t see us, but, you can hear us and were going to talk to you all the time until you realize it us every time that we walk in.”   
Abby reached up and laid her hand on Marcus’s back, this time it was her comforting him. She was grateful that he didn’t try to stop her. When he stopped talking, he moved Abby a bit closer in case she too wanted to talk to him. He stood and stared in at their baby while he gave her all the time that she needed. Every once in a while, he would move his little hands and slightly kick his tiny legs that seemed to be no bigger than one of Marcus’s fingers.   
“Hi, baby. I tried to keep you in so much longer, I wanted to protect you and take care of you. You are the most important person in my life and I’ll keep fighting for you. I want you to fight to, there are so many gifts for you at home, so many people who can’t wait to meet you and your daddy and I can’t wait to be able to hold you. You are such a tiny little bean and I love you. I love you so much, to the moon and back and I will do whatever I can to help you through this.”   
The baby had moved, a little jerking motion as Abby had stopped speaking.   
“Talk to him again, Abby.” Marcus spoke so softly.   
Abby put her face back near the hold as she laid one hand against the plastic. Marcus placed his hand over hers.   
“Your daddy bought you a bike, it will be awhile until you get to ride it, but one day, you will ride it…”   
“And I’ll teach you.”   
Marcus kept his eyes on his son, not aware that Abby had looked up and despite her emotions, she smiled.   
“We can get you one of those shark helmets, the kind with the fin on top. The backyard where we live has this patio and there is enough room for you to learn how to ride it.”   
Once again, they watched as the baby jerked as if he was protesting.   
“I wish that I could touch him, to hold him, to kiss the top of his head.”   
Marcus knelt down beside her, laying one hand on her knee, “You will get to hold him before too long, Abby. Let that be the goal for now.”   
Her eyes landed on his, “He’s on a ventilator.”   
“It won’t be for long, Abby.” Yet, as he said it, she leaned in to him. Marcus held her to him as she cried. It was difficult to see her with her heart so broken.   
“Sorry, excuse me.” The nurse from earlier interrupted the moment.   
“Its fine, how can we help?”   
“I have the cloth, looks like a puppet. Sleep with it tonight. Abby, do you already have a breast pump?”   
“I have one at home.”   
Monty looked at Marcus, “Could you go home and get it? It is vital that we have her breast milk as soon as possible.”   
“I’m not really producing too much.”   
“That’s ok, he won’t need too much right now. Also, it is better for babies to be called by a name, we see a higher rate of success with children, especially preemies. Have you decided on one?”   
Abby shook her head, one hand covering her mouth, “I thought I had more time.”   
Marcus reached out and squeezed her shoulder.   
“Don’t worry. Once you decide, let one of the nurses know and we will help you with getting the paperwork filled out.”   
“And I’ll head back to the house and get the breast pump.”   
“Thank you, Mr. Kane.”   
“Of course. Abby, why don’t I take you back to the room so that you can get some rest?”   
She nodded before leaning forward towards her baby, “Mama will be back, I promise little one. I love you so much. We both do.”   
Marcus leaned forward, his head next to Abby’s as he looked at the baby through the hole in the plastic. “I love you. We will back before you know it. We will never be gone for too long. See you soon, bean.” 

Abby was so exhausted that she turned on her side and gave into her desperate need for sleep. Marcus had kissed her on the forehead before he left.   
When he walked into the house where his son would eventually come home, he played fetch with the dog shortly after feeding her and giving her fresh water. He found the pump, picked out some of the smaller baby clothes and put them in the diaper bag. Marcus put bottles in there for when they would be able to hold him and feed him themselves. He packed toiletries for Abby and a fresh nightgown along with clothes to come home in. Marcus stood in the middle of the bedroom and thought back to when he had left, all day long he had wondered if it was the stress that his leaving caused that made her go into labor.   
When he returned to the hospital, Abby was still asleep. He was so exhausted and knew that Abby would need him when she woke up. He hung up her clothing in the tiny closet and put her toiletries that were in her travel bag, in the bathroom.   
“Marcus?”   
He came out of the bathroom and looked at her, “Sorry, I had to find the pump and then I wanted to take care of the dog to be sure that she had time to eat and play a little bit so she doesn’t bark all night long.   
“Its ok. Can you bring me the breast pump?”   
He nodded before grabbing it from the bag and taking it to her.   
“Do you want me to leave so that you can do it?”   
“I made love with you two nights ago, no, I don’t want you to go, Marcus. Sit down.”   
He sat down on the bed next to her as she the pump up and began to try to use it for the first time. Marcus watched as she did it.   
“I was supposed to do this with him for the first time, I was supposed to be holding our son in my arms as I breast fed him for the first time.”   
“You’ll get that chance, you will.”   
Abby simply nodded as she laid her head against his shoulder.   
“I love you, Abby.”   
“I love you too.”   
“Are you done? I can give it to the nurse.”   
She handed him the bottle, then he pressed the call button.

The nurse came in a few minutes later to collect what little amount Abby could give.   
“I’m so glad you were able to produce something.”   
“It isn’t much.” Abby said it quietly  
“You producing something for your son, no matter how little, it will be beneficial to him. Anytime you feel like you can produce, please do. Once your home, you will carry a few bottles back with you each day and then we will give you the previous days bottles to take home.”   
“Alright.”   
“I’m going to take this down to NICU so that they can give it to him tonight. We will see how he does with the feeding tube.”   
“Please let me know how he does.”   
“I will, you guys can head back down in the morning anytime after seven-thirty. I know you’re anxious to see him. I’ll check in later, in the meantime, try to get some sleep.”   
“Marcus?”   
“Anything, what?”   
“Can you lay with me?”   
“Yes.”   
He climbed into bed with her, Abby laid her head into the crook of his neck. The cloth puppet was on his chest as Abby kept one arm around it.  
“Abby?”   
“Yes.”   
“Is this my fault?”  
“What do you mean?”   
“The baby coming so early. Is this from the stress of me leaving? Is it from us having sex the other night?”   
Abby didn’t want to hurt him and yet, the honesty of his question deserved an honest answer.   
“It might be a mixture of everything, not to mention nature and the fact that sometimes things just go wrong, Marcus.”   
“The whole thing was that I didn’t want to hurt him at all.”   
“Marcus, you are here. I need you to be in this. I need you to support me and our baby. I need you to not think about yourself this time and I need you to put us first.”   
“I was doing that, Abby. I really thought I was doing the right thing.”   
“You didn’t though. You broke me. Now, I need you to help put me and the baby back together. Just please don’t run this time.”   
“I’m not going to go anywhere.”   
There was a long pause as the laid there.   
“I think we should name him Owen.”   
“I like Owen, why?”   
“I was looking up baby names and Owen means ‘young warrior’. That is what he will need to be.”   
Marcus kissed the top of her head.   
“Owen is perfect. Owen Jacob Kane.”   
“You want to name his after Jake? I like it.”   
“You’re going to let me help name him?”   
“You are his father, Marcus.”   
“I don’t deserve it.”   
She reached up and cupped his face with her free hand, “Marcus, you are here now. I don’t have time to think about all that, I can only think about Owen and everything that he is going through.”   
Marcus pinched the top of his nose as the tears escaped him.   
“Come here.”   
He shook his head, not able to face her.   
“Marcus?”   
“I don’t deserve you or him, Abby.”   
“Come here……Marcus, please.”   
She tugged slightly on his arm, “Marcus, please.”   
He finally turned to her, Abby pulled him to her breasts, where he laid his head. The sobs broke free from him now as he wrapped his arms around her as they laid on their sides holding one another.   
“How can I possibly make this up to you, Abby? I can’t. I’ve been such an idiot.”   
“You were trying to make sense of your past and it collided with your future.”   
“Don’t be easy on me, Abby.”   
“I love you, Marcus. Everyday I needed you. All that matters is that you aren’t going to run from your family again.”   
“Why on earth would you still want me?”   
She could feel his tears making its way through the material of the hospital gown. His shoulders shook as Abby held him.   
“Marcus…..” She said his name so softly.   
He finally leaned back from her in order to look at her. His eyes were red from crying and still wet with tears. Abby wiped his tears away as she kept his face cupped in her hands.   
“You, Marcus Kane, are the love of my life, the father of my baby and the man that I want to spend the rest of my life with. Do you think there is even a remote chance that I’ll ever stop loving you?”   
He shook his head, “I don’t deserve you and yet you want me. I love you, Abby and I’ll love Owen until the end of my own days.”   
“I know. I love you too. Now hold me, I’m so tired.”   
Marcus held her as they both drifted off into a heavy sleep. 

To be continued.


	12. Chapter 12

Abby refused to sit in the wheelchair as she walked away from her tiny baby boy who lay sleeping in the incubator. Marcus held Abby’s hand in his as they walked down the long hall until they reached her room. The nurse had made the bed and was still cleaning up when Marcus and Abby walked in.  
“You’re back, I noticed that Owen’s coloring is much better this morning. How was your visit with him?”  
“He was sleeping, the NICU nurse said that sleep is the best thing for him, so we decided to cut it short so that Abby could get a bit of rest.”  
The nurse nodded, it was clear that she understood.  
“Well, you are being released today. You might want to change into your regular clothes so that you can be ready. I’m about to take care of your discharge papers, the doctor has already taken care of his part.”  
“But…….” She looked at Marcus and then back at the nurse, “Owen is here, I can’t just leave him.”  
The nurse came around the bed and walked to where Abby stood, placing one hand on her arm.  
“Listen to me, it is better for you to be home. You’ll get better sleep. Your body needs rest too. Take advantage of all the sleep you can get, the more you heal, the better equipped you will be to give your little prince the care that he is going to need. You both are going to be going through training for when Owen does get to go home. Home is the best place for you, Abby. I’ll be back, you change.”  
Marcus felt helpless as he watched her change her clothes, he tried to help her and yet, other than helping her with socks and shoes, there wasn’t much that she allowed him to do. Her lower lip was trembling, the tears were welling up in her eyes.  
“Abby……”  
He lost all ability to speak when she looked up at him completely helpless, more broken than he had ever witnessed her to be.  
“How can I leave without our baby? He needs us, he needs me.”  
He couldn’t argue with that, Marcus didn’t want to leave their child either. Instead of saying a word, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, with her sitting on the bed, she felt so small as if she needed his protection.  
“I don’t know how to do this, Marcus.”  
“We will figure it out together.”  
“He is just so little.”  
Marcus leaned back and took her face gently in his hands, Abby could see the tears in his eyes.  
“This sucks, Abby. I know you didn’t plan on having to leave our son here. Remember this though, the NICU ward here is one of the best in the state. If we have to go through this and Owen had to go through all this, then this is the best place for him to be.”  
“What if he is scared? I don’t want him to be afraid, Marcus.”  
Abby gripped his shirt and leaned into him, he buried his head into her hair and cried with her, neither knowing fully what it was that Owen would have to go through. 

Marcus and Abby arrived back to the home that they had purchased together. Marcus took care of the dog while, playing with her and feeding her. Abby walked down the hall and into the bedroom. Relief swept over her when she saw boxes in the room, a couple were open revealing that Marcus’s clothes were inside. It was a bitter sweet moment to know that he really was home and so tough because Owen should be in this house with them.  
Abby picked out some clothes, work out pants and a pink t-shirt. Her goal was to shower, take a nap, pump and then go back to the hospital.  
When she laid down in bed, Marcus was quickly beside her, Chance happily greeted Abby and then realized quickly that something was wrong and nuzzled on one side of her while Marcus lay on the other. With that comfort surrounding her, Abby fell into the first decent sleep she had since the last night that Owen was still safe inside her belly.  
Marcus didn’t know whether to wake her or allow her to sleep. She had been asleep for three hours, he half feared that she would be angry with him if he let her nap too long. Marcus quietly left the bed and took his cellphone with him into the hall. He was grateful that Chane stayed stretched out beside Abby. 

He dialed the number and listened as it ringed, he waited impatiently for someone to pick up the other line.  
“NICU, this is Jasper.”  
“Hi, my name is Marcus Kane, I’d like to check on my son, Owen Kane.”  
“Yes, Sir. Let me get your nurse.”  
He waited for someone to pick up and was relieved when it only took a moment, “Hello, Mr. Kane. I’m Karen, Owen’s night nurse. He just had a feeding about an hour ago. I was going to call and let you know that we only have about two ounces left in breast milk, will Abby be coming in tonight?”  
“Yes, she was able to fall asleep. I don’t want to wake her just yet.”  
“Of course, you both need your rest as well. We will see you when you arrive. The doctor will be making rounds and should be around about seven.”  
“I am sure we could be there before that. Thank you for your time.”  
With that, Marcus hung up.  
“Marcus?”  
He was immediately in the room, when a groggy Abby was looking towards the door.  
“Was that the hospital, is everything alright?”  
“Owen ate. Doctor is making rounds at seven, I think we should be there, are you up to it?”  
She eagerly nodded and yet, Marcus could see the exhaustion in her eyes.  
“They also need some more breast milk.” She watched as he reached for the baby blanket they had slept with so that Owen would be able to have their scent with them. They had napped with it between them.  
“I can pump right now.”  
Marcus leaned forward and kissed her forehead.  
“I love you, Abby.”  
“And I love you.”  
They briefly held onto one another before Abby got up and went to pump.

The doctor came in just after seven, he saw a few other families for making his way to Marcus and Abby.  
“How are you feeling, Abby?”  
“I’m tired.”  
The doctor nodded and gave a soft smile, “That is to be expected. Well, I wanted to talk to both of you about Owen and give you an idea of the game plan.”  
Marcus reached over and took Abby’s hand, they both sat in the rocking chairs that sat close to where Owen laid. They watched as the doctor took his own stool and moved it in front of the incubator, sitting across from Owen’s parents.  
“The bandages will come off his eyes in a couple of weeks. The ventilator might come out earlier. My hope is to challenge him in a few days and see how long he can go without using it.”  
“Will that hurt him?” Marcus had sat forward quickly looking at his son, not willing to face the doctor or Abby as the fear about Owen overtook him.  
“No, it might be uncomfortable but, it won’t be outright painful.”  
Marcus nodded, feeling Abby’s hand rubbing his arm in comfort. He gripped her hand a little tighter.  
The doctor’s kind eyes looked back and forth between Marcus and Abby.  
“I want to assure you that we are going to do everything possible to help Owen to get past all of this. This is a dangerous time; our biggest issue is to keep him from getting sick. That would be harmful, so be sure to tell anyone who wants to come in and see him that they can’t be sick or had been around anyone who is. Do you have any questions so far?”  
“When can I hold him?”  
Abby watched as the doctor looked from Owen and then back at the parents, he was very sympathetic to them.  
“It will be some time, Abby. He is just so little. We are helping things along through medications. Once his skin thickens a bit, we will be able to place him in your arms. I know you want to hold him in order to assure him that you are here.”  
Marcus placed an arm around Abby when her eyes filled up with tears. She hid her face into Marcus momentarily before pulling herself together. The doctor noticed Marcus holding the baby blanket in his free hand.  
“Is that the comfort blanket?”  
Marcus looked down as if he had forgotten that it was in his hand.  
“Yes, we napped with it earlier.”  
A nod came from the doctor, “Please let me place it for you.”  
Marcus handed it across to the doctor who stood up and carefully took the one that had been with Owen and placed the new one with the baby before he took his seat and handed the old one to Marcus.  
“Thank you.” Marcus said it quietly as he held it to him.  
“If Owen does well and doesn’t have too many setbacks, you can expect him to be home in about three months.”  
“Three months?” Abby said it almost desperately.  
“We want to be sure that we are sending your son home in the best possible health. One of the biggest issues will be watching his weight to be sure that he is gaining daily. That will help him in several ways and right now that is what we want for him. I look forward to seeing him without all these tubes attached to him.”  
“His mother and I look forward to that too.” 

The days and weeks began to pass all too slowly. Everyday Marcus and Abby went to the hospital in order to spend time with their son. Each and every night, they slept with a baby blanket between them after washing it by itself in a delicate baby detergent that was all natural. Jake and Callie both went by daily and stayed with the baby for a couple of hours each day. Callie went by on her breaks and after eating, she went by during her lunch hour. 

Marcus and Abby slowly became used to the new normal of their routine. Jake ran things at the company so that Marcus could be with Abby as much as possible and to take time to bond with his son. He stopped in with Jake once a day to check in on things and to sign paperwork that needed his attention. Abby accompanied him on many of these meetings, they both stayed near the other for solace during such a difficult time.  
The day was still early when Marcus and Abby arrived at NICU. They went through the routine of washing and sanitizing their hands before together, they walked back to where Owen was. In the last five weeks, he had gained nearly two pounds and the doctor was pleased that he had begun to eat more.  
A nurse smiled at them as they walked in, she was busy changing Owen’s diaper.  
“I have great news for both of you.”  
Marcus stepped forward so quickly that Abby barely had time to register, he took a look down at his son before the nurse even had time to explain. He turned and smiled at Abby, “The bandages are gone. He’s blinking.”  
Abby moved quickly to Marcus’s hand that was outstretched towards her. She stood next to him as together they looked at Owen. Their tiny little boy was stretching his arms as he yawned and blinked as if he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his new ability. Marcus and Abby laughed as they watched him.  
“This would be a good time to talk to him, I just fed him and changed him as you can see. The doctor will be by in just a few minutes.”  
Marcus sat down in the rocking chair, moving it so that he could be as close to the incubator as possible. Abby stayed standing so she could see her baby clearly.  
“Hello Owen, we can finally see your eyes.”  
Owen began to search for the voice. Abby let out a breath of excitement as Marcus stared almost unbelieving, he had to stay quiet, the tears had come quite easier than he would have expected. He could have kicked himself for ever thinking of walking out on Abby or their tiny miracle. When he began to speak, his voice cracked with emotion. Abby reached out and set her hand on Marcus’s shoulder, squeezing it.  
“You are doing so well, Owen. You keep it up. Everyday you are improving and it is because you are so strong. We love you.”  
The baby looked in the direction of Marcus, perhaps seeing the shape of him and yet, not being able to see clearly the man who loved him more than life itself.  
Marcus stood and looked at Abby, “Sit honey, sit and talk to him.”  
Slowly she took a seat, with one hand she reached for Marcus’s as she looked in the little hole of the incubator.  
“Hi baby. I’m so happy to see you with less stuff today.” Her voice changed pitched immediately as the emotions overcame her. The baby let out a little sound. Marcus and Abby froze. The doctor had walked up beside them.  
“Don’t worry, that is just him trying to talk back to you. I’d like to talk to both of you.”  
“Of course.” Abby said it with a bit of apprehension to her voice, always a bit nervous to hear what he had to say.  
They turned the rocking chair to face the doctor, they sat down in their seats and listened as he spoke.  
“Well, Owen is doing very well. I’d like to remove the breathing tube and see how he does, if that goes, I do believe that you both can hold your son. His skin is no longer humid, he can handle touched now. In fact, if you would like to reach in and touch him while the nurse and I prepare, you can.”  
Marcus and Abby looked at each other, excited and nervous all at the same time. 

Moments passed when Marcus turned to Abby who was now facing Owen.  
“Abby, baby, you can touch him now, go ahead.”  
“I’m afraid. I don’t want to hurt him.”  
She watched as Marcus shook his head, “Sweetheart, you aren’t going to hurt him. Look at him, he is tiny, look at his color, he looks healthy.”  
Slowly, Abby reached into the incubator, at first, she merely kept her hand close to Owen.  
“Its ok, touch him.” Marcus said it in a whisper. Abby could do little except for nod. Marcus put one arm around the woman he loved as he watched her carefully touch her knuckles against that of Owen’s. Abby felt his warmth and smiled, happy tears making their escape from her eyes. She felt Marcus as he leaned his cheek against her head as they watched Owen reach for Abby’s hand as if he had been waiting for it. He kicked his little lets as he gripped her finger.  
“He is so perfect, Marcus.”  
“Yes, he really is.”  
“You should reach in.”  
Marcus reached in the second hole of the incubator and let his finger graze the baby’s kicking leg. Owen settled immediately as he tried to make sense of what was happening to his leg.  
“He’s so soft.” Marcus was barely able to get the words out. He took Owen’s small foot in his hand, the tiny foot looked incredibly small in Marcus’s large hand. As if the tiny boy knew that his father was looking at his foot, Owen kicked the hand that held him. Marcus laughed as the baby continued to do so, yet the baby continued to kick as if that alone could entertain his son forever.  
Abby smiled at the interaction between father and son. She took her turn watching them both.  
“Marcus come and sit here so that you can touch his hand.”  
He moved into the seat and reached in, at first, he ran his finger over Owen’s small arm, much in the same way that he had touched his leg.  
When Owen grabbed for his father’s finger, Marcus grinned, “You have quite the grip there, baby Kane.” The baby seemed to smile, he looked up at Abby, “I didn’t think that he could do that yet.”  
He watched as Abby shrugged, “With all that he has been through, perhaps even he realizes what a milestone this is.”  
“That’s a great way to look at it, Abby.”  
When the doctor came back in, he stood quietly as Marcus was talking to his son.  
“Now, the next few moments are going to be confusing. Your mom and I are going to be right here in the room. Don’t think for a moment that we left, we won’t. If for any reason you struggle with this, don’t worry about having to rely on it for a while. You are doing absolutely fantastic. We love you.” Marcus stood and only then realized the doctor had come in.  
“We are going to get started.”  
They stood together and watched while the nurse and doctor stood over the incubator, they talked softly to the baby which made Marcus and Abby feel a bit better as they stayed back. When the baby began to let out sounds of displeasure, the doctor carefully ran one hand over Owen’s head in hopes of calming him. Abby herself wished that it was her that could comfort her child. When she couldn’t watch anymore despite her medical knowledge, she tucked her face against Marcus’s chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She could hear his heart beating rapidly and knew that he too was worried for Owen.  
When the procedure was done, they closed the lid and kept watch over him. The nurse stayed in place as the doctor turned and walked to Marcus and Abby. He gave them a smile.  
“So, now we watch and wait. If he does well, then we can look at him staying off the breathing tube completely. He is doing remarkably well, especially well after only five weeks. If he does well during the rest of the day, then either tonight or tomorrow, you can hold him.”  
Abby could only nod before she kept her cheek against Marcus’s chest. His arms were still around her as the doctor continued to speak.  
“Stay with Owen, continue to talk to him. Let’s see how the next few days ago, we are still a few weeks away from him going him, but, I assure you to take great joy in his recent accomplishments.” That, they did. 

Owen continued to breathe on his own, they didn’t have to put the breathing tube back in his neck. It was late when Marcus and Abby had left the hospital, she had pumped there in order to leave the nurse with fresh breast milk. 

In the morning, they woke, showered and headed to Marcus’s office where he signed the paychecks for the employee’s and left them for Jake to sign when he arrived. 

They arrived at the hospital, Jackson was sitting with Owen and speaking to him softly. He smiled at Marcus and Abby.  
“Callie just left, said she would be by later. Owen is doing great by what the nurse says.”  
He stood and hugged his friend tightly before shaking the hand of Marcus.  
“That is quite the boy you got there.”  
Of course, Marcus and Abby smiled brightly, they thought so too.  
The nurse walked up and smiled at Abby, “Are you ready to hold your son?”  
Abby gasped as if she hadn’t quite believed that she was going to get the chance to do just that.  
“She is ready.” Marcus spoke for her as his eyes were on Abby and yet, his words were towards the nurse who grinned at Abby’s reaction.  
“Abby, have a seat and I will get Owen ready.”  
Marcus’s eyes were still on her when she turned to look at him.  
“I get to hold our baby.”  
He gave a nod before cupping her face, “Yes, you get to hold our baby.” With that he kissed her lips gently. 

Abby took her seat in the rocking chair, Marcus stood beside her.  
“Owen is ready. Are you, Abby?”  
There was little she could do except for nod as the nurse walked towards her with Owen, still hooked to an IV and feeding tube and then placed the tiny boy who weighed no more than five pounds in her arms. Abby couldn’t help it as a sob escaped her as Owen had his head against her for the very first time.  
“Don’t be surprised if he starts to make a lot more noise now, you might even hear him cry from time to time. Your doing great, mom.” With that the nurse walked away.  
Marcus knelt down beside Abby as softly patted Owen’s back. When the baby cooed, Abby smiled so brightly that Marcus would have fallen in love with her all over again if he hadn’t been already. He kissed Abby before carefully placing a kissed the fuzzy top of Owen’s head.  
Getting lost in the vision of the woman he loved, holding the child that they had created was something Marcus could easily allow himself to do. He took a picture of them as Abby gazed down at their baby. He knew without a doubt that this was something that he would always want to remember.  
Owen cooed softly, it was the slightest tiniest noise and Abby couldn’t have thought anything in the world was sweeter. She ran her nose over the softness of the peach fuzz atop of his head. 

It was a long time later when Abby realized that Marcus too wanted to hold their son. The nurse came and took Owen, changing his diaper and then feeding him through the tube. Marcus was staring at his son when the nurse placed Owen in his father’s arms. Marcus held Owen’s head in his right hand while the baby’s bottom laid in Marcus’s left. He was desperate to see his little face up close.  
Abby was so in love with the moment, and grateful that Marcus had chosen to be part of this after all. She took several pictures of them together before wrapping her arms around Marcus’s neck before laying her chin on his shoulder and gazing down at Owen.  
“He looks so healthy now, so much better than before.” Marcus said it as if he couldn’t believe it.  
“The weight gain is helping.”  
“I can’t wait until he doesn’t have this feeding tube anymore.”  
“I can’t wait to try to breast feed him.” 

Two weeks later, Abby got the chance. Marcus sat with her as the nurse changed Owen’s bedding.  
“Now don’t feel bad if he doesn’t latch right away. He hasn’t done this before. So, if it doesn’t happen, Abby, just know that we will keep trying.”  
She nodded as Owen squirmed in her arms.  
“Do you want me to stay, Abby?” The nurse said it kindly.  
“I think I want to try on my own. Marcus will come and get you if Owen and I need you."  
“Alright, I’ll be at the nurse’s station.”  
Abby lowered the blanket that the nurse had given her so that it would be easier to breast feed once Owen was in her arms. She let her eyes move to Marcus, “I’m nervous.”  
“Just take your time, honey.”  
He watched as she let moved Owen who was cuddled beneath the blanket. Abby moved the baby to her breast at first, he fussed, not really understanding what to do. He finally sucked, let go, fussed again and then latched on when he realized exactly what was happening.  
“He’s doing it. Marcus, he is doing it.”  
Marcus thought that perhaps, this was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He leaned forward and kissed the top of Owen’s head; his hair was a bit less fuzzy and it had begun to grow a bit more. Marcus ran his hand over it as he realized just how lucky he was to be part of this. 

Three weeks later Marcus and Abby were spending their last night at home together. Callie and Jake agreed to sit with Owen so that the parents could finish washing the preemie clothes and getting ready to bring their son home.  
“You need some sleep, Abby, go take a shower and rest.”  
She folded the tiny blue onesie that said ‘Daddy’s sidekick’ and put it in the drawer.  
“Don’t you need rest too?”  
He smirked at her, “I was planning on taking a shower after you and then I’ll follow you to bed.”  
“I could use a night of a bit of television while I rest my head against you, Marcus.”  
“I’d like that too.”  
“Marcus?”  
“Yes?”  
“I’ll go shower.”  
He smiled as she walked past him.  
“Finally, you listen to me.”  
“I should give you a win once in a while.” 

Abby curled up into bed, she turned on the television and found one of her favorite shows while she waited for Marcus to be beside her. He came out from the shower with a pair of grey sleep pants and slid in beside her.  
“My chest is all ready for you.”  
She smiled as she curled up into his body, her hand ran over his chest as her eyes and mind stayed glued to the television. Marcus stopped her hand more than once, then he would move his hand and once again her hand would move.  
“Abby?”  
“Hmmm?”  
“Can you stop moving your hand?”  
“It has never bothered you before.”  
He let out a small groan, “Right, but we were having a lot of sex then. Now, we aren’t”  
She smiled against his chest, “We are allowed to have sex now, Marcus.”  
“I know, I want to, Abby. It just has seemed wrong with everything Owen was going through.”  
“Right, however, he comes home tomorrow and we are about to be extremely busy with our son. Tonight, we can take advantage of having some time alone.”  
As if to prove her point, she laid a kiss to his chest before sliding her tongue up to his nipple. Marcus moaned as his head fell back against the pillow. 

When Abby held Owen and sat in the wheelchair, she cried with relief that they were finally headed home. Marcus pushed them as Callie and Jake took several pictures. They kept Owen in the room with them so that they could keep watch on him. He had been so used to a lot of people in the NICU that they thought their son might be scared in his own room right away. 

Marcus proposed to Abby when Owen fell asleep, he was down on bended knee next to the small crib in their room. He cried when he spoke, “I hate that I ever thought about not being part of this. I want to make more Owen’s with you and be part of your life until there is no more breath in me. Marry me?”  
“Yes, I’ll marry you anytime and anywhere.”  
He stood up and kissed her. 

They were married two months later in a small wedding, Marcus held Owen during the ceremony. He had been too fussy to leave with anyone else to care for. Abby smiled when she walked down the aisle and saw both of her favorite men in tuxedo’s as they stood waiting for her.  
“We love you.”  
She laughed, “And I love both of you.” 

The day after Owen’s third birthday, the dark haired, dark eyes little boy who was a striking resemblance to his father wore and ‘I’m the big brother’ t-shirt.  
When Marcus came home from work, he ran to his father the way he always did, “Daddy! Daddy!”  
As always, he picked up his little boy and kissed his face, “Where’s your mama?”  
Owen only shrugged. Marcus put him down after kissing the top of his head.  
“Abby?”  
“Right here.”  
She came walking down the hall and immediately went to his arms and held on to him for a moment. It took another ten minutes before Marcus read Owen’s shirt. They had been at the dinner table.  
“Abby?”  
“Yes?”  
“Why does his shirt say, ‘big brother’?”  
She smiled across at him.  
“Because he is going to be a big brother.”  
Marcus came around the table and took Abby in his arms. 

Nine months later, Marcus held Abby’s hand when she gave birth to their daughter, Octavia Marie Kane.

Abby reached out for Marcus after both of their children were tucked in their own beds. Owen was six and Octavia was three. Marcus had taken off Owen's training wheels earlier that day. They were sweet, good kids, although Owen liked to follow the rules and be sure that everyone else did as well. Octavia on the other hand was a stickler for breaking them.  
“Marcus?”  
“Hmmmm?”  
“This is the best life.”  
He turned over and kissed her, “Yes, and you’ve given me every single piece of it. I love you.”  
“Love you more.” 

"I think we should have another baby."  
Abby smiled as she looked at him, "And when exactly should we get started on that?"  
He smirked, "Now seems good."

 

The End


End file.
